RENSSELAERVILLE — As it works to transition the Rensselaerville water district away from a surface-water system into a public well system, the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee will hold a community meeting on Thursday, May 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Hilltown Commons Guggenheim Theater to get input on preferred well-sites.

The committee has been overseeing a total renovation of the hamlet’s water district, which serves 79 homes, after flaws in the current system allowed for high levels of trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and HAA5 — a group of five haloacetic acids — which develop as a result of the disinfection process.

Because the water is pulled from Lake Myosotis, an exposed water source, more treatment is necessary than if the water comes from underground. 

The project is expected to cost the small town $2.5 million, but a recent hardship designation made the district eligible for a New York State Department of Health Base Drinking Water State Revolving Fund grant that would cover 70 percent of the cost ($1.75 million), as well as an interest-free bond to cover the remaining 30 percent ($750,000) over a 30-year period. 

Committee Chairman Ed Csukas told The Enterprise this week that there are several well-site options to choose from — “each of which may have an impact on the community or a portion of the community” — which is why the committee is seeking input at the meeting, in addition to providing an open forum for general questions and concerns about the project. 

“We hope that the community will rally around this decision-making process and help us form a subcommittee to review all the options and narrow them down to the viable options,” Csukas said.

The committee is operating on a relatively tight deadline, with the town required to sign a project finance agreement by Sept. 30, 2026, at which point construction can begin. 

“Although that seems like a lot of time, we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Csukas said. 

The preliminary phase of the project has been handled by engineering firm C.T. Male Associates, and the town will be seeking a new firm for the design and construction phase, he said. 

A request for qualifications was due this week, and the committee expects to pick a firm by the end of July. 

“Nothing but good news here,” Csukas said of the committee’s progress in recent months.