To the Editor:

As a long-time town of Guilderland resident, I thought your recent article on the Foundry Square proposal was fair and balanced and accurately summarized the nearly two-hour proposed project discussion with the town board [“Town board pauses on letting Foundry Square proposal proceed,” The Altamont Enterprise, Dec. 16, 2024].

One correction, if I may: The leading edge of the chlorinated solvent plume (a contaminant plume is a body of groundwater that has been polluted by contaminants in the soil and/or unconsolidated aquifer) does not feed into the Watervliet Reservoir (“Guilderland’s major source of drinking water,” Public Water Supply ID# NY0100205 — permitted for 5 million gallons per day) via the Hunger Kill.

Several tributaries discharge into the man-made Watervliet Reservoir: the main stem of the Normans Kill (from the west-northwest), three unnamed tributaries of the Normans Kill (from the north and northeast), and the Bozen Kill and Black Creek (from the southwest).

The main branch of the Hunger Kill is located 2.3 miles east of (and downstream of) the subject reservoir in the vicinity of the proposed project, which empties into Blockhouse Creek (south of Nott Road and east of Nott Road Park) approximately 1.14 miles to the southeast. The Hunger Kill does not feed the reservoir as it enters the Normans Kill 3.17 miles to the southeast and downstream of the outlet for the Watervliet Reservoir.

Furthermore, the town’s rarely utilized Water Wells #1 and 2  and Well #3 are located in the Kaikout Kill watershed and Blockhouse Creek watershed, respectively, and their source of recharge is between 1,500 to 2,000 feet upstream of where the Hunger Kill actually joins Blockhouse Creek (mentioned above).

For your information, I am a past chairman of the town’s water committee and a New York State-registered professional geologist with past experience evaluating the quantity and quality of the town’s water wells.

Although our firm has been retained by The Markstone Group, to provide environmental consulting services in support of their Brownfield Cleanup Program agreement, I thought it would be helpful for you to understand the hydrogeologic relationship between the proposed project, the Watervliet Reservoir, and the Hunger Kill.

Mark A. Williams, P.G.

Managing Geologist

C.T Male Associates

Latham