Closely aligned with this matter is work that is going on now at Town Hall to assess our capital needs for our water, sewer and facility infrastructure, and to make decisions on how to proceed. This is a critical matter to bring to your attention because the cost implications are significant and, unfortunately, delay only results in higher costs. Governments generally have not been keen to engage in a dialogue on these matters because the plain and simple truth is that deteriorating water and sewer systems are not visible and there is some tendency to put things off, or only repair and replace when there is a problem or emergency. Well, they have been put off too long and in Bethlehem we can and we must do better than that. So, stay tuned and you will be hearing much more about this in the near future. And that leads me to the Bethlehem Town Government Program that we will highlight this month to offer some information to Bethlehem’s residents and businesspersons about our excellent departments. Considering our upcoming priority work on our capital needs, I have asked our Commissioner of Public Works, Josh Cansler to provide an overview of his department.
The Department of Public Works (DPW) is responsible for purifying and distributing safe drinking water to the residents of Bethlehem; collection and treatment of wastewater, engineering and technical support, and administrative services.
Where in Bethlehem???
This float was part of our town Memorial Day parade in 1916. These Bethlehem residents used the float to encourage neighbors to join the Red Cross, as the need was great due to WW I. Memorial Day was first established when the graves of Civil War casualties were decorated in 1868. . After WW I it was decided to commemorate all those all died in service to the country. Old timers will remember it as “Decoration Day”. Submitted by the Bethlehem Historical Association
Our staff operates two water treatment plants, maintain a reservoir, eight water storage tanks, 14 wells, two interconnections with the Albany water pipeline, seven pressure regulating stations, and 190 miles of water system pipeline. That’s just to get water into your homes and businesses. On the wastewater side we operate a wastewater treatment plant, 38 pump/lift stations, and 160 miles of sewer collection pipeline. We also have an Engineering staff which provides planning, design, and quality assurance for projects for all Town departments. They also provide engineering support and technical review for future development projects within the Town. Our engineering staff is also responsible for enforcing stormwater laws and regulations. Our Administrative and Customer Services staff operates the customer Call Center for Town Hall and handles all billing services, appointments, and related issues. Sincerely,
Sam Messina Bethlehem Police Department
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Please recycle OUR TOWNE Bethlehem