X

Potsdam village water treatment plant deals with 'spike' in turbidity

Posted 2/11/19

Updated 11:35 a.m. Feb. 12. By CRAIG FREILICH North Country This Week The Village of Potsdam’s water treatment plant had to deal with high turbidity levels over the weekend. Village Administrator …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Potsdam village water treatment plant deals with 'spike' in turbidity

Posted

Updated 11:35 a.m. Feb. 12.

By CRAIG FREILICH
North Country This Week

The Village of Potsdam’s water treatment plant had to deal with high turbidity levels over the weekend.

Village Administrator Greg Thompson said there was a “drastic spike” in the turbidity in the village’s water over the weekend forcing an adjustment to processing to reduce the level.

“Nobody’s health or well-being was threatened,”  Thompson said, by the high level of turbidity, which is visible particles suspended in the water.

Last week a manure runoff from Adon Farms in Parishville was seen in a steam that feeds the Raquette River, from which the village draws its drinking water.

Thompson confirmed that Adon Farms is the recipient of several tankers a week of sludge from Potsdam’s sewage treatment plant for use on their fields.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation has said the runoff originated at Adon Farms.

But he said there is no certainty that the manure runoff came from the sludge Potsdam delivers there.

“We are waiting to hear from the state” on details about the runoff from Adon, he said.

But DEC reported last week that the runoff did not reach public or private water supplies. Nevertheless, Adon will be fined for the runoff, DEC said

The village is taking steps to end the transport of sludge to Adon Farms and is closing in on a new method of dealing with it as a cost-saving measure.

They are installing equipment to squeeze the water out of the sludge, leaving what is called “dry cake,” which will be taken by truck to the landfill at Rodman.

This will save money in those transport costs over the tankers to Parishville, Thompson said.