How Poughkeepsie Gets Its Water

Yes, of course, it's from the Hudson River but here's a little more about how it all works. The Poughkeepsie water purification system can handle as much as 10 million gallons of water per day but only uses around 6 million gallons. The Poughkeepsie wastewater plant is jointly owned by the City and Towns of Poughkeepsie and is operated by a company called Veolia North America. The municipalities save around $170,000 annually by farming out the service to a private company.

The City of Poughkeepsie wastewater plant was built in 1977. According to an article on the Veolia website, they've been managing the wastewater system since 1980 and have 6 years left on a 10-year deal they signed in 2016. A $600,000 capital investment went towards odor control systems and sludge dewatering which reduced sludge hauling costs between 40-50%. Ultraviolet light is used to kill bacteria and other microorganisms.

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It was announced in 2019 that the plant would receive $4.5 million in funding to replace the UV disinfection gear that helps clean and purify the areas' water supply. The project will save around $90,000 in annual electric costs.

The video below features information from Chris Gent Commissioner of Public Works for the City of Poughkeepsie and Ed Steeprock Veolia Project Manager on things work and you get an exterior look of the plant.

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