Water Treatment FAQs
Where does our water come from?
Sometimes, especially in winter my water is milky colored, why?
What is the water hardness in grains per gallon of our water?
What is a "Boil Water Advisory"?
How many customers do you serve?
What is you average daily water output?
What is your largest daily water output?
What is the capacity of the treatment plant?
Are there plans to expand the treatment plant
Water Treatment FAQs
Where does our water come from?
The source of our drinking water is the Hudson River at the Sherman Island Dam on Corinth Road in Queensbury, New York.
It is estimated that a minimum of 900 million gallons of water flows by our intakes every day.
Sometimes, especially in winter my water is milky colored, why?
The cloudy water you have noticed is probably dissolved air.
To check if this is true, draw a glass of water from the tap and let it sit. If the water in the glass starts to clear from the bottom up it is a result of the air being released. In the colder months, the water leaving our treatment plant is saturated with oxygen. As the water warms up in your home the oxygen is released.
What is the water hardness in grains per gallon of our water?
The hardness of our water is approximately 1 grain per gallon or about 17 milligrams per liter. Our water is considered "soft".
An abnormal condition has occurred that can disturb sediment or rust in the pipes. Examples of these occurrences are: using hydrants for firefighting, illegal use of hydrants, a water main break, power interruptions at the treatment facility that cause immediate changes to the system hydraulics.
We flush the system once per year, from about the end of April through the end of May, to minimize these effects.
What is a "Boil Water Advisory"?
A condition exists where there is unconfirmed or possible microbiological contamination. The "advisory" is issued as a precautionary measure.
A boil water order is issued when there has been confirmed microbiological contamination. The water should be brought to a full or "rolling" boil for at least 1 minute. You will be notified when the emergency condition no longer exists.
No, since we began testing in 1993 there has been no measurable contamination found. We conduct routine testing of our raw, clarified and finished water on a quarterly basis. Results are given as less than the lowest limit that can be detected by current methods. At this time that is 0.02 ug/l or less than two-hundredths of a part per billion. The current mcl (maximum contaminant level) as determined by the EPA is 0.5 ug/l or five-tenths of a part per billion.
How many customers do you serve?
We currently have about 7250 service connections in the Queensbury Water District that serves over 20,000 people.
We also serve the Village of Hudson Falls, a portion of the Town of Moreau and a portion of the Town of Kingsbury.
What is your average daily water output?
Our average daily output is about five million gallons.
What is your largest daily water output?
Our maximum daily output has been ten and one half million gallons.
What is the capacity of the treatment plant?
The capacity of the treatment plant is fifteen million gallons per day.
We have a 1000kw generator that allows us to produce about twelve million gallons per day during power outages.
Are there plans to expand the treatment plant?
Not at this time. (November 2003) The treatment plant is designed to allow future expansion up to 30 million gallons per day.
Bruce Ostrander, Water Superintendent
Water Department823 Corinth Road, Queensbury, NY 12804
Office Phone: (518) 793-8866
Fax: (518) 798-3320
E mail:
