Village News April 2007

http://cherryvalleyny.us/docs/Village%20News%20April%202006.doc


Village of Cherry Valley

Incorporated 1812

K. Don Brigham Mayor

Jeffrey S. Stiles Trustee

Dorothy E. Johnson Clerk-Treasurer

Louis Guido, Jr. Trustee


44 Main Street

PO Box 392

Cherry Valley, NY 13320

TTY, Fax & Phone (607) 264-3791


Office Hours: 9AM1PM


Village News April 2007


Water Quality Report

Included in this newsletter, please find the annual water quality report for the Village of Cherry Valley for the year 2006, as required by law.

Sidewalk Clearing Thank You

Thank you to all who kept their sidewalks clear this past winter and to those who didn’t pile their snow in the sidewalks. It makes for much easier clearing.

Flower Donations

In the past we have sent out letters to our merchants requesting donations toward our flowers and/or that they help out by beautifying their own property. Anyone wishing to make a monetary donation may send it to the Village of Cherry Valley, PO Box 392, Cherry Valley, NY 13320. All donations, clean up, and greenery/flowers by our residents will be greatly appreciated.

New Refuse/Recyclable Removal Day

Beginning in June the garbage pickup will be on Thursdays, no longer on Mondays. During the switch over, there may be additional days that you will have to hold your garbage so please be prepared for this.

Refrigerator Pickup

Refrigerators still containing Freon gas can be taken to MOSA’s two facilities in Otsego County – Oneonta and Cooperstown at a cost of $15 each. Also scrap metal may be taken at no charge and tires at $1.75, tires with rims at $2.50 each. These and other items will still be picked up (different charges) by the garbage collector, though refrigerators and cooling units must have the Freon removed and tagged.

Museum Needs Volunteers

Are you looking for a 3 ½ hour, 2 or 3 times a month, volunteer job to help your community? The Cherry Valley Museum needs your help. Volunteers to sit at the museum between 10 – 5 daily are needed June – October. History knowledge is helpful, But NOT needed. (There are people who may be called if history help is needed.) However, you do need to be reliable, friendly, and enjoy meeting/greeting people. If you are willing to help out, please call Barb at 264-3098.

Thank you from the Cherry Valley Historical Association.

Budget

Budgets for the village 2007-08 year have been passed. There will be a

$.75 increase (per thousand) in the tax rate and a $.25 increase (per thousand gallons of water) in the water rate.

Brush Pickup

Pickup of lawn and garden debris will continue throughout the spring, summer, and fall by the DPW department. Please try to have piles that can be picked up easily. The use of wheel barrels, pails, and bags are other acceptable ways of disposal. Only in the fall do the leaves get picked up by the vacuum, and do not need to be contained.

Dog Control

Please respect others and their property and remember to have your dog(s) in your control at all times. This text is from the local dog control law:

No running at large.

No habitual barking, howling, crying, or whining.

No damaging other people’s property.

No attacking other animals.

No tampering with garbage.

No chasing, jumping on, biting, or harassing any person.

No chasing or running alongside vehicles of any kind.

No defecating, urinating on or digging anyone’s property.

No dog in heat is to be unrestrained off the owner’s property.

If you have a problem with a dog, please call the Town of Cherry Valley Dog Control Officer. (You may be required to sign a complaint form.)

Jaird W. Johnson @ (607) 264-3223

Village Clerk’s Office to Re-Locate

The Village Clerk’s Office will move to the old school, 2 Genesee St. in the near future. The entrance to the village office will be from the back (handicap accessible) on the same side as Go Figures & the Day Care Center. The office will be shared by the Village and Town Clerk’s and is in the old kindergarten (Mrs. Smith’s) room.

Next Village Meetings:

May 21st, June 18th, & July 16th, @ 7pm.

Pancake Breakfast

The Firemen and Auxiliary members will put on a pancake breakfast on Sunday, May 27th, hours 7 – 11 am at the firehouse.

Weatherization Assistance

Opportunities for Otsego has notified the village of the NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal Weatherization Assistance Program. There are applications at the village office for anyone interested. Income levels are:

Household Size --- Monthly Income Limit

1 ............................... $1,764

2 ............................... $2,307

3 ............................... $2,850

4 ............................... $3,393

5 ............................... $3,936

For more information, you may call Opportunities for Otsego at 433-0444.

Town/Village Shared Services

The Town and Village of Cherry Valley have received a grant in the amount of $22,770 to complete a Consolidation Feasibility Study. The grant is from the Department of State under the Shared Municipal Services Incentive Program. This study will help to determine if it would benefit the town and village to consolidate. (There was no response to the question in the last newsletter as to opinions on the dissolution of the village.)

Web Site

The Village and Town have an informational website, which is:

www.cherryvalleyny.us.

Sidewalk Fund

A sidewalk savings account has been opened with donations from Lou & JoAnn Guido and an anonymous donor. Anyone wishing to donate to this fund, may contact the clerk or Mr. Guido. Trustee Guido has also applied to the NYS Department of State for funding for sidewalk replacement.

Pathway to Alden Field

The village, town and various property owners are planning to create a pathway from the town parking lot on Genesee Street to Alden Field. Thank you to the homeowners who are willing to let us use their land.

Anyone interested in this project or any of the above, please contact us. We are always looking for ideas and concerns from our residents.

Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2006

Village of Cherry Valley

NY3800144

Introduction

To comply with State regulations, Cherry Valley Village has been annually issuing a report describing the quality of your drinking water. The purpose of this report is to raise your understanding of drinking water and awareness of the need to protect our drinking water sources. Last year, your tap water met all State drinking water health standards. We are proud to report that our system did not violate a maximum contaminant level or any other water quality standard. This report provides an overview of last year’s water quality. Included are details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to State standards.

If you have any questions about this report or concerning your drinking water, please contact our Water Superintendent, Mr. Kelly Wright at 264-9384 or 3791. We want you to be informed about your drinking water.

Where does our water come from?

In general, the sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activities. Contaminants that may be present in source water include: microbial contaminants; inorganic contaminants; pesticides and herbicides; organic chemical contaminants; and radioactive contaminants. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the State and the EPA prescribe regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The State Health Department’s and the FDA’s regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

Our water system serves about 600 people through approximately 240 service connections. Our water source is two wells, located behind the well house on Alden Street and Alden Park, Genesee Street. The source assessment has rated these wells as having a high susceptibility to microbial and nitrates and high susceptibility to industrial solvents and other industrial contaminants. These ratings are due primarily to the close proximity of permitted discharge facilities and pasture within the assessment area. In addition, the wells draw from fractured bedrock and the overlying soils are not known to provide adequate protection from the potential contamination. While the source water assessment rates our wells as being susceptible to microbial, please note that our water is disinfected to ensure that the finished water delivered into your home meets New York State’s drinking water standards for microbial contamination.

Are there contaminants in our drinking water?

As the State regulations require, we routinely test your drinking water for numerous contaminants. These contaminants include: total coliform, turbidity, inorganic compounds, nitrite, lead and copper, volatile organic compounds, total trihalomethanes, and synthetic organic compounds. The table presented below depicts which compounds were detected in your drinking water. The State allows us to test for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, though representative, are more than one year old.

It should be noted that all drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791) or the New York State Health Department at (607) 432-3911.

Table of Detected Contaminants

Contam
inant

Viola
tion

Yes/No

Date of Sample

Level Detected

(Avg/Max)

(Range)


(Goal)

MCLG

Regula
tory Limit (MCL, TT or AL)

Likely Source of Contam
ination

Nitrate Well #1

No

quarterly

avg. 0.875 mg/l

10 mg/l

10 mg/l Fertilizer

Nitrate Well #2

No

quarterly

avg. 4.47 mg/l

10 mg/l

10 mg/l Fertilizer

Lead *

No

6/2006

90% - 0.007mg/l

0

2.0 mg/l Lead solder in pipes

Copper *

No

6/2006

90% - 0.45

1.3 mg/l

1.3 mg/l Copper pipes

Ethylbenzene

No

8/11/2004

3.8 ug/l

n/a

5.0 ug/l

THM

No

8/11/2004

2.1 ug/l

n/a

80.0 ug/l Disinfectant byproduct (chlorine)

Barium

No

8/11/2004

0.12 mg/l

2 mg/l

2.0 mg/l Natural

Sodium

No

8/11/2004

16 mg/l

n/a

n/a Natural

Notes: *Lead and copper tests are done in individual homes and reflect the homes plumbing, not the systems.

1 – Copper - The level presented represents the 90th percentile of the 20 sites tested. A percentile is a value on a scale of 100 that indicates the percent of a distribution that is equal to or below it. The 90th percentile is equal to or greater than 90% of the copper values detected at your water system. In this case, 20 samples were collected at your water system and the 90th percentile value was 0.45 mg/l. The action level for copper was not exceeded at any of the homes tested.

2– Lead- The level presented represents the 90th percentile of out of the 20 samples collected. The action level for lead was exceeded at none of the 10 homes tested.

Definitions:

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.

Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

Milligrams per liter (mg/l): Corresponds to one part of liquid in one million parts of liquid (parts per million - ppm).

Micrograms per liter (ug/l): Corresponds to one part of liquid in one billion parts of liquid (parts per billion - ppb).

What does this information mean?

As you can see by the table, our system had no violations. We have learned through our testing that some contaminants have been detected; however, these contaminants were detected below New York State requirements.

“Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population. It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing. If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water, you may wish to have your water tested and flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water. For additional information call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).”

As you can see by the table, our system had no violations, but we have learned through our testing that some contaminants have been detected; however, they were detected below New York State requirements. Although nitrate was detected below the MCL, it was detected at 5.48 which is greater than one-half of the MCL. Therefore, we are required to present the following information on nitrate in drinking water:

“Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 mg/l is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you are caring for an infant, you should ask for advice from you health care provider.”

Is our water system meeting other rules that govern operations?

During 2006, our system was in compliance with applicable State drinking water operating, monitoring and reporting requirements.

Do I Need to Take Special Precautions?

Although our drinking water met or exceeded state and federal regulations, some people may be more vulnerable to disease causing microorganisms or pathogens in drinking water than the general population. Immune compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice from their health care provider about their drinking water. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium, Giardia and other microbial pathogens are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Why Save Water and How to Avoid Wasting It?

Although our system has an adequate amount of water to meet present and future demands, there are a number of reasons why it is important to conserve water:

Saving water saves energy and some of the costs associated with both of these necessities of life;

Saving water reduces the cost of energy required to pump water and the need to construct costly new wells, pumping systems and water towers;

Saving water lessens the strain on the water system during a dry spell or drought, helping to avoid severe water use restrictions so that essential fire fighting needs are met.

You can play a role in conserving water by becoming conscious of the amount of water your household is using, and by looking for ways to use less whenever you can. It is not hard to conserve water. Conservation tips include:

* Automatic dishwashers use 15 gallons for every cycle, regardless of how many dishes are loaded. So get a run for your money and load it to capacity.

Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.

Check every faucet in your home for leaks. Just a slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons a day. Fix it up and you can save almost 6,000 gallons per year.

Check your toilets for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank, watch for a few minutes to see if the color shows up in the bowl. It is not uncommon to lose up to 100 gallons a day from one of these otherwise invisible toilet leaks. Fix it and you save more than 30,000 gallons a year.

Kelly J. Wright

Dorothy E. Johnson 4/24/07

Sidewalk Grant Application - Feb 2, 2007

On February 2nd, 2007 the Village applied for a Legislative Initiative Grant through Senator Seward's office for sidewalk repair.

The Town Comprehensive Plan

The Town Comprehensive Plan is here for download in PDF format.