To address many questions we have received: the PRV Reimbursement Application will be available mid-February. It will be posted here, on the website and hard copies will be available in the Water Department at Town Hall. 

The Rombout Water District Tank Decommissioning Project is well under way.  We have listened to the resident feedback received from the initial letters.   We want to communicate changes made to the project deadline and project funding that will affect you. In a letter sent to all water customers in August, we explained that the goal of the project is to address Dutchess County Board of Health directives and to improve the substandard water pressure throughout the district.  Consequently, this improvement will also create a zone of higher-than-standard pressure: known as the “Higher-Pressure Zone”.

Affected customers within the Higher-Pressure Zone were notified in November that a Pressure-Reducing Valve (PRV) is required to help protect household plumbing appliances and keep internal water pressure within the standard range. Because water pressures have been historically sub-standard, we found that many homes are not equipped with PRVs. The Town Board recognizes that installation of a PRV, while necessary for some properties, is only required because of the upgrade to the entire system. All customers will benefit from the system improvement but less than half must install the new valve. 

The Town has agreed that costs associated with the installation of individual PRV’s be funded by the entire Rombout Water District. Although the customers in the high-pressure zones who received the letter of November 9, 2018 are still responsible for the installation of their PRVs, the Town will establish a Reimbursement Program to cover the installation cost of the required PRV’s. Eligible residents can apply to receive a reimbursement of the actual cost of the installation of a PRV, up to $350. This will be a one-time reimbursement and customers will be responsible for the maintenance and replacement of the PRV’s after the initial installation.  

For program details, a list of properties located within the Higher-Pressure Zone, the eligibility requirements and for the application (available mid-February, 2019), please visit the Town’s website: www.fishkill-ny.gov. 

​In order to allow for customers to arrange for the installation of the PRV, the system water pressure will not be increased until after April 1, 2019*. This delay is to allow customers enough time to negotiate and schedule the PRV installation. The water pressure in the system will be increased slowly over the course of the week of April 2-5, 2019*. More information on this will follow, but if you install a PRV on your home as recommended, if one is not currently installed, please ensure that this is done prior to April 1, 2019*. 

A list of the properties included within the Higher-Pressure Zone is available here. There are approximately 400 properties in the Higher-Pressure Zone, please confirm whether your property is on this list. 

If you have questions related to your property in the Higher-Pressure Zone, please contact the Town's Project Manager, Artie Bortz. 

Eligibility
In order to qualify for this reimbursement, customers must:

1. Have received a letter from the Town stating that their property is located within the Higher-Pressure Zone
2. Have installed a new PRV after August 1, 2018 and prior to April 1, 2019.
3. Complete and submit the application for reimbursement located on the Town website home page- click “Rombout Water Project.” (*AVAILABLE MID-FEBRUARY)
4. Include an original invoice or original receipt with the application (not a copy)
5. Submit the application on or before May 1, 2019 – applications will not be accepted after the close of business May 1st.

Only new installations will be reimbursed – not replacements. The reimbursement is limited to the actual cost associated with the installation, or $350, whichever is less. Requests for reimbursement for work completed prior to August 1st will not be considered. Likewise, applications for work completed after April 1st will not be considered. Businesses (including apartment complexes) are not eligible for reimbursement. Payment for verification or inspection of a PRV is not a reimbursable expense. New construction is not eligible for reimbursement, unless a c/o was issued prior to August 1, 2018.
A letter was sent on November 9, 2018 to properties located in a Higher-Pressure Zone, though a list of homes can be found on the Town’s website: www.fishkill-ny.gov.  Please check the website to determine if you are in the Higher-Pressure Zone and if your PRV installation is eligible for the reimbursement program.  If you are not able to access the website, please contact the water department at (845)831-7800 Ext. 3319 to confirm if your property is within a Higher-Pressure Zone. 
Reimbursements will begin after Feb. 15, 2019 after the Public Hearing and Approved Bond Resolution.  Reimbursement applications will not be accepted after May 1, 2019.  To learn more about this program, the eligibility requirements and for the application, please visit the Town’s website: www.fishkill-ny.gov.  

Funding
In order to fund the cost of the individual PRV installations, the district must borrow the funds.  This will require an approximate borrowing of $215,000 and will result in an annual charge to district residents of approximately $25.00 (per typical 10 BU home) over a period of 5 years. The Town must present the borrowing plan at a public hearing.  The anticipated dates for the process are in the Timeline below.

 
Timeline
August 1, 2018 – April 1, 2019*

11/9/2018
Construction began on the system improvement project

11/9/2018
Letter sent to customers in high-pressure zones

1/16/2019
Anticipated date of Public Hearing for Bond Resolution for PRV’s

2/6/2019
Anticipated date of Town Board approval of funding

2/15/2019
Applications for reimbursement accepted

4/1/2018*
Final day to install PRV and be eligible for reimbursement

4/2- 5/2019*
Period for water pressure increases

5/1/2019*
Final day to submit reimbursement application

* These dates are subject to change with consideration from the Department of Health – if an extension is possible, the deadline(s) will be updated accordingly.

​Key Elements

• Reimbursement Opportunity: The Town of Fishkill will reimburse homeowners up to $350 for the actual cost of the installation of a PRV for properties within the Higher-Pressure Zone that do not currently have one. The reimbursement program applies only to new installations after August, 2018. Replacements are not eligible for reimbursement.
  • To apply for reimbursement, submit an application to the Water Department as per the instructions on the application. If you are not able to access the application on the website, please contact the Water Department.
  • The deadline for installations eligible for reimbursement is April 1, 2019 and the deadline to submit reimbursement applications is May 1, 2019. Any applications submitted for work completed after April 1, 2019 will be ineligible for reimbursement. Applications received after May 1, 2019 will not be considered.  Reimbursement applications will be accepted beginning February 15, 2019.
• Notice to Residents: All property owners will be urged to check their plumbing system after the system pressure increase in early April 2019 to ensure that plumbing components are working properly. Experience suggests that washing machine hoses and water heaters are the most vulnerable components of the plumbing system for leaking. Homeowners will also be reminded to watch for, although this is very uncommon, wet areas in the yard that could indicate a leak in the underground service line.
• Maintenance and replacement of the PRV’s after the initial installation will be the responsibility of the homeowner, this is a one-time program. Applications for reimbursement will be accepted through May 1, 2019 and any applications submitted without proper documentation will not be considered. 

The letter below was sent to the residents who have been designated to be in the "higher-pressure zone"

If you did not receive this letter (mailed 11/9/18), you are not within the Higher-Pressure Zone. A letter will be going out to those residents outside of the Higher-Pressure Zone within the coming weeks.  

​Dear Resident,
You are receiving this letter because the Town’s Engineers have identified that your property is located within this higher-pressure zone and you will likely see an increase in water pressure above the standardized 80 psi threshold. This letter is the follow-up to the letter sent to you in August, regarding the Rombout Water District Tank Decommissioning Project.

​This project intends to excavate the piping near the Hudson View Storage tank and install a new valve to isolate the tank from the Rombout Water supply district. Eliminating (i.e. isolating) the tank from the system will resolve a Department of Health violation. NOTE: removal of the tank is NOT part of the project at this time.  Tank will be drained and secured.  We will then take advantage of the improved water pressure supply coming from City of Beacon water by re-adjusting existing pressure control valves where necessary and install a new pressure control valve in a new sub-surface vault. Next we will retire one pump station in the district as the higher pressures will make its use unnecessary and we will modify one other pump station to improve pumping efficiency due to the new improved pressure profile. The Project Cost Estimate is $300,000 funded by the District with available Reserves. Request for Proposals will be issued in August. Field construction work to begin fall 2018 and Installation target completion will be early 2019.