Future water sources sought
August 13 , 2002

By R. PATRICK CORBETT
Observer-Dispatch

VERONA — Looking forward to a construction boom over the next few years — such as the planned Oneida Nation expansion — the town of Verona has embarked on a quest to find more water to meet growing needs.

The town board Monday agreed to hire the Liverpool engineering firm of Barton and Loguidice to look at future water needs and potential sources to back up the current supply that the town purchases from the city of Oneida.

The Oneida Indian Nation announced last week that it plans to add two hotels and a spa at its Turning Stone Casino Resort.

Verona Supervisor David Reed said the city of Oneida can provide up to 40,000 gallons a day for the town’s Durhamville water district and up to 240,000 gallons a day for the rest of the town. Currently the town uses about 90,000 gallons a day, he said, but it has to look for future water now.

“We’re issuing building permits and getting calls every day from people wanting to hook on to our water system,” he said.

The proposed Verona Greens hotel and restaurant complex across Route 365 from Turning Stone also would add to the water demand if it gets built, Reed said.

“The city of Oneida cannot meet the demands of what the Indians are going to be looking at, too,” he said.

The Nation will pay the $20,000 cost of the study, the Nation’s Director of Government Relations Diane Stirling said Tuesday.

“This money was left over from the first phase of the Route 365 water sewer development district (in Verona),” Stirling said. “Our interests are parallel (in the new water study) so it is the right thing to do.”

She said the Nation’s contribution helps cement “the government-to-government relationship we have built (with Verona).”

Possible new water sources include the Onondaga County Water Authority water line that ends near South Bay, just west of the town boundary, and the Rome water system, which ends several miles east of the hamlet Verona.

The engineering study would take about two weeks, Reed said, and he would like to see pipelines for new water in place by the spring of 2004.

After the study, he said, “I envision I will have reports on Rome and OCWA and the town and Oneida Indian Nation will look to see what suits us best and pick that.”

Rome Mayor Joseph Griffo said, “We’ve had informal communications with the Oneida Nation and Verona officials. After the study we would consider formal talks.”

Reed said the town also is automating its meter reading and billing system to better track water use.

He said Assemblyman David Townsend, R-Lee Center, helped the town get a $1,000 state grant to buy computerized equipment that can accept remote meter readings and put out bills for the entire town in a matter of minutes, Reed said.

Given the growing water concerns, “It’s perfect timing,” Reed said.