Catskill water line expanding beyond American Thermostat

SOUTH CAIRO, N.Y. (NEWS10) -It's been more than thirty years since a water pipeline was created in Cairo to avoid volatile organic compounds near American Thermostat. The reach of those chemicals has been moving in South Cairo beyond where the water line ends.

This includes most of Scotch Rock Road and Country Estates Mobile Home Park. "There was one that in the past had tested positive that's now resting negative and a new one that's testing positive," stated Debra Bogins, Town of Cairo Deputy Supervisor. "It seems to be changing."

In response, the EPA has approved a new water line to connect these homes to the Village of Catskill's supply. The owner of Country Estates spoke to NEWS10's Anthony Krolikowski off-camera and said he will be meeting with Delaware Engineering to figure out how to run this line under the current well house.

Patrick McCulloch, Town of Catskill Supervisor, explained that, "The County is going to pay for the initial engineering cost to get this project up and rolling. We'll call that phase one. We're going to hold off on phase two which is the construction because once the Village applies to EPA for funding and they approve the construction part of it, then the EPA will pay."

Catskill isn't without water problems either. There are 133 lead service lines throughout the supply. With more than 2,000 connections, 600-some lines still have to be tested.

"We have to go to the curb box and dig it up to verify that the line coming from the street and into the house is either copper, lead, or plastic," described McCulloch. "That's our next phase."

In the meantime, the private wells at Country Estates have filters installed to help keep residents safe. "I think the community is starting to come together and realize this was a potential problem and I didn't realize it was still happening up there. It's been 43 years," said Arlene Schmatz.

Greene County Administrator, Shaun Groden, hopes construction on the new water line will start in the spring of 2025. The EPA sent NEWS10 the following statement:

"EPA has determined that extending the waterline to Country Estates and any other affected residences is eligible for funding under Superfund. Next, EPA must approve the funding after our final internal review. If the funds are approved, after the design work is completed, the EPA will award the funds to the Village of Catskill through a cooperative agreement."