New Water Department building expected by summer’s end

Nearly 18 months after a fire destroyed Millerton’s Public Works building, which housed the Highway Department and Water Department, construction is expected to begin within weeks on a new Water Department facility and pumphouse.

The new building would restore the village’s full water pumping capacity and allow officials to end the state of emergency declared after the fire. Village officials are also planning a separate Highway garage, with details of that project still being finalized.

Fire project manager Caroline Farr-Killmer has been in charge of replacing the building since the fire destroyed it. In June, she said construction could begin on the new Water Department and pumphouse once the plan is approved by the Dutchess County Department of Health.

Millerton Mayor Jenn Najdek said she expects construction to start as soon as the designs get approval from the health department.

Officials described the new Water Department building as an urgent need. Farr-Killmer explained the village’s water system has been functioning with just one operational well, causing concerns about potential water shortages at that wellhead and its longevity. The village cannot operate the second well until it is enclosed in a structure, Farr-Killmer said.

Najdek originally expected Board of Health approval to come in early June, but as of Thursday, July 9, the plans are stalled as health officials deliberate the plans.

Despite the stall, Najdek doesn’t expect the project to affect Millerton’s plans for the week-long celebration of Millerton’s 175th birthday set for July 11 to 19.

Since the fire last winter, property restoration firm BELFOR has been working to clear and prep the site for a brand new set of buildings.

Farr-Killmer explained the Water Department building, which will house one of Millerton’s municipal wells, must now be a separate structure from the Highway Department building due to environmental and health regulations. Municipal wells require up to a 200-foot buffer from other structures to prevent drinking water contamination.

In the weeks after the fire, Farr-Killmer visited the charred building almost daily and documented damage to the structure and inventory. She said the fire itself was only the beginning, and pointed out that navigating insurance, rebuilding plans and deadlines have been hidden challenges.