Water is one of the basic building blocks of life as we know it. With it we flourish. Without it nothing can survive. As the Democrat reported last week, the town of Fallsburg issued a notice to residents asking them to voluntarily conserve water and electricity as temperatures remain high. It’s the second time this year they’ve issued such a notice. 

Water concerns are not unique to Fallsburg and there’s more than one factor that contributes to the problem. Many towns throughout Sullivan County, and upstate New York, are in the process of upgrading out-of-date and deteriorating water systems. Fallsburg is currently looking at upgrading the South Fallsburg Wastewater Treatment plant that serves Woodbourne, Hurleyville, Old Falls and South Fallsburg. 

Like other towns across Sullivan County, Fallsburg also sees a dramatic increase in population every summer. This influx of seasonal residents puts further strain on the aging water infrastructure.

According to Fallsburg’s Deputy Supervisor, Sean Wall-Carty, existing infrastructure in the town cannot accommodate for planned future growth.

While attracting new development and businesses to our area can offer more jobs and an expanded tax base, towns and planning boards must be careful to take current infrastructure constraints into consideration so as to not put the cart before the horse. 

Another issue, according to Wall-Carty, is the decrease in rainfall. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, part of Sullivan County (and 47 percent of New York) has been “abnormally dry” in recent weeks, which can lead to an increase risk of fire.  

This makes water shortages more than just an inconvenience. They can be dangerous. 

Last month, the Fallsburg Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire at the corner of Main Street and Route 42. Due to the limited amount of water in Fallsburg, multiple neighboring departments had to be called in with tankers. Nobody lost their life thanks to the skill and bravery of responding firefighters and the cause of the fire is under investigation. 

Fortunately, Deputy Supervisor Wall-Carty said Fallsburg residents have answered the call and the town is regaining some of its water pressure. 

All towns must take care to ensure adequate water for their residents now and in the future.