GUILDERLAND — The town has set fees for new users of its water system.

The purpose of the law, passed unanimously by the town board on July 12, is so new users “basically pay their fair share,” said Supervisor Peter Barber.

Councilwoman Christine Napierski said she was happy to see a reduced rate for seniors and would also like to see a reduced rate for residents of affordable housing units.

“That’s up to you folks,” said Timothy McIntyre, Guilderland’s water superintendent.

Overall, he said, his plan was “to take weight off” current district users.

Barber said Napierski had made a good point on a fee reduction for affordable housing, and the law was adopted with the understanding it would be amended to include reduced rates for affordable-housing dwellers.

No one spoke at the public hearing preceding the vote.

The law notes, “The water system’s unused capacity has economic value because it will support a wide variety of new land uses and development activity in Town.”

It also says the town needs to develop a capital fund to pay for needed expansions and to replace worn equipment.

Each new connection or expansion is to be charged a one-time fee with an additional charge for connections outside of the water district. The new user fees are to be deposited in a capital reserve for repairs, upgrades, and expansions.

The fee is $750 per bedroom for single-family, two-family, and townhouse residences; $600 per bedroom for multiple-family and mixed-use dwellings; $500 per bedroom for senior residential facilities; and $400 per bedroom for subsidized senior residential facilities.

For commercial and industrial uses, the fee is $2,000 plus $7.50 per gallon per day based on standard engineering estimates.

For parcels outside the water district, the fee is 200 percent of the already listed fees based on use.

A 2018 report from Adirondack Mountain Engineering found Guilderland's existing system is overburdened during summer months and said the cost of treating water from the reservoir is $1.72 per 1,000 gallons. It recommended combined upgrades to the town’s water treatment plant totaling $4,509,000.

The Watervliet Reservoir currently provides at least 80 percent of Guilderland’s potable water, according to a 2021 report from Delaware Engineering. The reservoir’s water quality is degraded by summertime algae blooms and weed growth, the report says, while runoff from residential and commercial development also affects water quality.

The town relies on flow from its wells and on water purchases from Albany and Rotterdam; Guilderland pays Albany a fixed fee of $249,900 (which is $3.75 per 1,000 gallons) at the beginning of each year, and pays Rotterdam $100,000 ($3 per $1,000 gallons, which decreases to $2.75 after 45 million gallons), the report says.

Guilderland owns three wells, which were historically a major source of water for the town but two of those wells were taken out of service as iron levels increased. The town plans to install a greensand filtration system for treatment of iron and manganese, which the report estimates would cost $4,259,000.

In November, the town applied for a state grant for the new filtration system.

Barber told The Enterprise this week that the town had not officially heard back yet on that grant application.

“We’re still hopeful for that,” he said, adding that it’s a continuing grant opportunity. “We just keep applying,” Barber said.

Other business

In other business at its July 12 meeting, the Guilderland Town Board:

— Approved applying for a 2022 Smart Growth Community and Planning Zoning Grant from the state to help with updating the town’s 20-year-old comprehensive land-use plan. Barber called it a “long shot” and said the town would seek $75,000 and have a 10-percent match with in-kind services.

Councilwoman Laurel Bohl, who resigned later in the meeting, cast the sole dissenting vote, wary of some of the principles, like density, saying she would need to see the application first;

— Agreed to buy a $4,500 multi-purpose welder to replace what McIntyre called a “failing unit”;

— Approved replacing a yield sign with a stop sign where Jeanne Drive intersects with East Lydius Street, as recommended by the Traffic Safety Committee, which cited “the volume of traffic on East Lydius Street” as well as “cut-through traffic” from Carman Road;

— Authorized the release of $30,645.73 in escrow funds to Bentwood III Land Corporation as part of the Prescott Woods subdivision. “We’ve been holding this money for a long time,” said Barber, stating that a “small amount” — $7,000 — will be kept for catch-basin work;

— Waived the building-permit fees to repair water damage at 2811 Curry Road. On being questioned by Napierski, Barber said it was a house that suffered “catastrophic loss,” and the waiver is similar to those granted by the town board after fires;

— Rescheduled the town board’s August meeting from the 2nd to the 16th so as not to conflict with the police department’s Night Out; and

— Went into executive session to discuss pending litigation.