Synopsis: Harriman STP, which processes treated wastewater, has a significant impact on Ramapo River’s water quality.
The Harriman STP which processes 6 million gallons a day of treated wastewater daily into the Ramapo River has a significant impact on the river’s water quality. In 2018 the DEC had requested new treatment requirements for the Harriman plant because of elevated levels of chlorides and total dissolved solids in the Ramapo River.
However, Orange County was fighting the DEC on that request on the grounds it was prohibitively expensive for no new capacity. The county has been exploring solutions to additional capacity at the plant due to increased growth in the area. The plant serves the villages of Kiryas Joel, Monroe, Harriman, South Blooming Grove and Chester as well as parts of the Village of Woodbury and towns of Monroe and Chester. In 2020, a consulting panel endorsed expanding the county’s sewage treatment plant in Harriman in answer to the expected growth. The expansion and upgrade would cost $54 million under the approach the consultants recommended. A committee of lawmakers and officials who has been studying the issue over the previous year voted to support that option, and the scoping document for the proposed project was finalized just this past February (2021). If approved, the project would increase the plant’s capacity by 50%, raising its flow limit to 9 million gallons per day from 6 million gallons per day to the Ramapo River.
OE is keeping its eye on this proposed expansion and as an advocate for clean water for our region will scrutinize the EIS for the project when it becomes available.
News Stories:
Delaware Engineering D.P.C. Scoping Document, February 4 2021.
Orange County Plans 54 Million Plant Expansion Serve Thousands of Homes, July 2020.
Sewer Hookups in KJ Remain on Hold, April 22 2020.
Panel Backs 54 Million Expansion of Orange County Sewer Plant, February 25 2020.
Sewer Plant Ruling May Cost Some Orange County Taxpayers Millions, February 6 2020.