The Village of Washingtonville, in Orange County, engaged Delaware Engineering to prepare a Water and Sewer Infrastructure Master Plan that would provide a framework within which the Village could plan, fund and execute the maintenance of existing infrastructure and extend the useful life of existing equipment, in order to provide safe and adequate water and sewer service to all customers. Further, the Village was committed to ensuring that water and sewer user rates were fair, equitable, and fiscally sustainable for the systems.

By reviewing existing data and information, and performing on-site facility walkthroughs and field work, Delaware Engineering prepared comprehensive evaluations of the water and sewer systems serving the Village, including assessments of groundwater supplies, water treatment and storage, pump stations, compliance with an Order on Consent, and the overall health of the systems.

Based on these findings, Delaware created a set of recommended actions and budgets for each component of the water and sewer systems. Further, Delaware performed a financial analysis of the systems, reviewing their operating budgets, debt schedules, O&M expenses, and current rates structures. Using  projected costs for improvements and annual  maintenance costs, as well as water usage data, Delaware modeled potential rate scenarios and rate-payer impacts, and provided recommendations concerning the basis for formulating water and sewer rents going forward.

The study concluded by identifying capital financing opportunities and strategies to fund recommended improvements,  through grant and low-interest loan programs available  in New York State and federally.