By Michelle O’Riley
VOORHEESVILLE — Do the stately houses lining Voorheesville’s Maple Avenue have a dirty secret in their backyards"

Wastewater overflow from septic tanks saturates the yards, near the Vly Creek, because the septic systems can no longer handle the increased levels of sewage and wastewater being produced, according to long-time village resident, Jane Gangai.
"You can see it the most after it has rained for a couple of days. The water comes right into the yard," said Gangai.

According to the village office, the homes in Salem Hills are connected to the village water and sewage system. However, other homes in the area, like those on Maple Avenue, are not connected and use private septic systems to manage their waste.

Septic systems for these homes used to be able to handle the waste products created by its residents, explained Gangai; now most homes are equipped with dishwashers and washing machines that quickly fill up and sometimes overflow the septic systems.

According to Gangai, this overflow causes over-saturation of the leach fields – an area around the septic tank where waste slowly leaks out into the ground. The seepage from this over-saturation could be running into the Vly Creek and concerns residents like Gangai.

Superintendent of the Department of Public Works William Smith said, that the village was unaware of any problems. It is the homeowners’ responsibility to maintain their septic tanks, Smith said, and, if there is a problem, it would be an issue for the Albany County Health Department.

Rick Georgeson, a spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Conservation, said, that the DEC has not received any complaints or reports of septic waste running into Vly Creek and confirmed that it would be handled by the county’s health department.

The Albany County Health Department told The Enterprise this week that it also does not have record of an issue and would not initiate an investigation unless contacted by a resident. The health department added that the village, not the county, determines the sewage needs for its homes.

According to Smith, a complex study was done of the village to determine its needs for sewage disposal. The cost to add area homes to the village system was determined by that study. However, not enough residents showed interest in paying for the usage fees so area homes were excluded from future connection to the sewage treatment plant, said Smith.

Some area residents are not interested in connecting to the village system because it would make their taxes higher, said Gangai.

Jane Gangai, now 85 years old, has lived in Voorheesville her whole life and has seen the area change from a country village into a commuter area with a steadily growing population. She understands that these changes are inevitable.
"Before I leave my children and grandchildren, I would like to know that they are going to be able to stay in Voorheesville and live as well as I did," she wrote in a letter to the Enterprise editor this week, "but, unless these homes are provided with sewage and wastewater disposal, they will ultimately become worthless."