At least three, in the Sullivan County village of Woodridge, which just celebrated the opening of its new $11 million wastewater treatment plant last Friday by cutting a ceremonial roll of toilet paper.
The Sullivan County Democrat reports that it was a festive occasion, with Congressman Maurice Hinchey on hand shouting "Hallelujah."
“Here’s to the first flush!” [Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther’s district director Allison] Epstein cheered.
The village funded the new plant with grants from the EPA and the USDA's Rural Development Agency, and $7 million in low-interest loans from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation. Each of Woodridge's 900-odd residents will pay $195 a year in fees for the use of the plant.
Fallsburg Supervisor Steve Vegliante pointed out that collaboration between agencies and municipalities was crucial to the plant’s creation. (The town has a money-saving agreement with the village to operate the facility.)
“When you have a problem as big as this is,” he observed, “it takes every level of government to chip in and fix it.”
