Schenectady County Legislature Creates Septic Replacement Program for Duane Lake
At their Tuesday, March 10, meeting, the Schenectady County Legislature approved the Duane Lake Clean Water Act. The vote was 15-0.
The legislature meeting, discussion, and vote can be found here on YouTube. Advance the timeline to 33 minutes to see it.
This action comes after more than six years of repeated rejection by the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) of Duane Lake’s application for acceptance into the NY State Septic Replacement Program.
While operational details are not yet available, the program will emulate the NY State Program and offer homeowners around Duane Lake 50% reimbursement for new higher-tech septic systems where needed, up to a $10,000 maximum. Initial funding would assist six applicants.
The program will be managed by the office of the Schenectady County Manager.
The Duane Lake Association has been advocating for this since the State program was rolled out in 2018 and is seen by the association—and notably supported by both the Duane Lake community in a high-response-rate survey and the Duanesburg Town Board, as a far more cost-effective tool than the multi-million-dollar municipal sewer system long insisted-upon by DEC.
The move is seen as vital not only to Duane Lake, itself, but to the downstream Watervliet Reservoir, which provides drinking water to more than an estimated 50,000 users in Guilderland and the City of Watervliet.
In a related development, NBT Bank is offering special-rate loans to help homeowners pay for systems where needed.
Specials thanks are due to county legislators Holly Vellano and Tony Jasenski for believing in our cause and championing it patiently for several years. And to State Senator Pat Fahy for her efforts on our behalf by successfully pushing legislation through the Senate that would have directed DEC to accept Duane Lake into the program, and to Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara and his legislative aide Brendan Savage for trying to get it passed by the State Assembly. Their efforts might yet bear fruit.
And the Duane Lake community is also to be thanked for its support for this over the years and its enormous turnout for the DEC presentation at the Town Board meeting on March 11. DEC staff were blown away by the show of interest.
Be watching for details on the Duane Lake Association website in coming days and weeks.
Maybe you need a shredder?
Perhaps you’ve noticed: Wednesday is trash pickup day at Duane Lake. It’s also “be careful what you trash day.” Or how you trash it. Like UPS and FedEx drivers, these trash-truck jockeys move fast. And stuff flies out. Not good. One of our DLA board members took a walk around Duane Lake this past Wednesday and found somebody’s checking account statement in the road (removed; no security breach now) and somebody ‘s else’s Fidelity investments portfolio report. Geesh. So, what to do? Two ideas. Buy a shredder and use it or buy some of those big brown bags available at hardware stores for fall-season leaves and put all your paper / recycling in there and staple it shut before stuffing it into your trash barrel.
A couple years ago a checkbook was found lying in the middle of the road. It got returned to its owner.
It’s a community thing.
They’re back!
It happens every spring about this time of year: snow-melt season. Mud season (and dust season this year). Sap running for maple syrup producers in upstate New York.
And today, March 12, blackbirds and grackles cackling by the hundreds in some lucky backyards. Just part of the show at Duane Lake and so worth the ticket price.
The DLA Board of Directors (Kim Roberts, Kathy Hotaling, Pat Huff, Norm Stewart, Carolyn MacDonald, Ian Colgan, Chris Miller, Ken Runion, and Alan Knight) have been researching and debating several “heavy” topics and alternative courses action for stewardship of our lake. In coming days and weeks we will lay it all out in a series of fact sheets for your advance thinking and ask for your opinions and guidance. We will let you know when.