Tupper Lake’s Park Street business district. File photo: Kelly Carroll, Adirondack Daily Enterprise
State Senator Dan Stec highlighted Tupper Lake’s ongoing drinking water crisis at a Department of Health budget hearing this week.
2000 water customers are currently receiving water that is a mix of iron-laden groundwater and potentially carcinogenic water from Little Simon Pond. To fix that, Tupper Lake needs new wells and better filtration systems.
Senator Stec told DOH Commissioner James McDonald he’s concerned the village will have to shoulder that cost alone.
“I’m concerned though, that Tupper Lake has been told several times recently there’s no more money for them, because this is an old issue that they’ve been working on,” said Stec. “Please have your people take another look. Anything we can do to help that village is appreciated.”
The cost for new wells and more filtration is estimated to cost around $25 million dollars.
The Adirondack Daily Enterprise reports that would cost water customers between $200 and $300 more dollars, per year.
Senator Stec also asked for state help at a Department of Conservation hearing back in January.