News

Aug 04, 2023

Watervliet taking proactive approach to maintaining city infrastructure

WATERVLIET, N.Y. — The city is working on a number of infrastructure projects in the city. City officials are taking a proactive approach to conduct preventative maintenance on city streets, water

WATERVLIET, N.Y. — The city is working on a number of infrastructure projects in the city. City officials are taking a proactive approach to conduct preventative maintenance on city streets, water lines, sewers, and the city’s filtration plant. They’re also taking a holistic approach to beautifying the community, such as planting 300 trees, removing weeds, and adding fresh road signs.

Watervliet Mayor Charles Patricelli noted that while infrastructure may not be a “sexy” topic, it’s much needed and important to stay on top of it so the city isn’t faced with surprises popping up down the road.

“It takes a lot of effort to make sure that things are done properly,” Patricelli remarked.

Watervliet General Manager Joseph LaCivita also commented on the benefits to residents with said infrastructure upgrades.

“When you pave your roads and you do the infrastructure improvements, there’s your better impact for the residents,” LaCivita said.

“You’re able to drive over roads that aren’t bumpy. It makes our equipment maintain roads better from a plowing perspective, from a street sweeper perspective,” LaCivita explained.

Patricelli also touted some of the ongoing projects throughout the city.

“There’s several different jobs being done right now under many different grants and programs that we have going on,” Patricelli said.

“One of them is the [Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program] CHIPS program, the [Lead Service Replacement Line Program] LSRP and [Local Waterfront Revitalization Program] LWRP, then we’ve got the [Combined Sewer Outflow] CSO project and the CHIPS being done for all of the paving on top of that and then part of the CSO is another batch of streets that is being done,” Patricelli continued.

Furthermore, LaCivita noted what the projects mean for water service in the city, which flows from Guilderland to Latham and eventually to Watervliet.

“Municipalities like ours, the urban centers along the riverfront, we have combined sewers, that means your storm water and your sanitary,” LaCivita said.

“What the project is doing is actually separating the systems, the sanitary and stormwater. We will then be free and clear of having to take our water down to the Albany treatment plant to separate it and treat it,” LaCitiva explained.

“That does a couple of things, it’s better for the environment, the Hudson River and it’s basically a requirement of the [Department of Environmental Conservation] DEC to do it and it also prevents us from sending stormwater down to the treatment plant that we have to pay for,” Patricelli added, noting the cost savings down the road, especially after a July which saw more than 10 inches of record rainfall in parts of the Capital Region.

LaCivita noted the project is estimated to save residents anywhere from $75 to $80,000 when completed.

City Chief Water Plant Operator David Dressel further detailed the status of the CSO projects, including $4.95 million for sanitary rehabilitation on sewer lines.

“We got five CSOs total, we’re getting rid of two on this project, and down the road, we’ve got three more to get rid of, they’re still in preliminary designing,” Dressel commented.

The city is also doing work at its filtration plant.

“We did fence work, new computer systems, new mechanicals, more concrete work, and filter work for a $7 million project, $3 million of which was paid for with grant money. Flocculators are being built by this fall, fences, and a new emergency generator,” Dressel noted, along with the SCADA system that monitors everything at the plant.

LaCivita added that the city is doing work at their hydro-component to the dam, and is replacing the flashboards to allow more water to be used for the hydro plant.

In addition to the docks down at Hudson Shores Park and having their vehicle fleets upgraded, Patricelli provided an update on paving efforts throughout the city.

“We’ve worked with Colonie to repave 8th Avenue and we shared the cost of repaving,” Patricelli said, adding that the city is also working with Colonie to put in an eight-inch waterline on First Street.

The list of roads being paved include:

6th Avenue from 1st Street to 6th Street

7th Avenue from 4th Street to 6th Street

2nd Avenue from 6th Street to 7th Street (including 1st Avenue)

14th Street from Broadway to 8th Avenue

12th Avenue from #1811 12th Avenue to Dead End of Street

Hillside Drive from 12 Avenue to High School entrance (just west of Wiswall Avenue)

Wiswall Avenue from Hillside Drive to 19th Street

26th Street from 2nd Avenue to 5th Avenue

23rd Street from Broadway to City Line

Selke Drive Hudson Shores Park

The ADA curbing that needs to be installed encompasses:

2 – Hillside at 12th field side

3 – 26th at 3rd (east/west) (north/south)

3 – 14th Street & 5th (store)

4 – 14th Street & 7th

2 – 7th & 6th

4 – 7th & 5th

LaCivita noted that National Grid has paved streets around Port Schuyler and is reimbursing the city for paving at First Avenue and Second Street.

As for what residents can expect in the future, the Arsenal City has applied for five different grants all related to infrastructure including for a waterline project. City officials should know the outcome of those grant requests by early fall.

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