Copenhagen water users under mandatory conserve notice

COPENHAGEN, N.Y. (WWNY) - People who get their water from the village of Copenhagen’s water system are now under a mandatory conserve water notice. It affects people in Copenhagen and parts of the town of Denmark.

An order like this hasn’t been issued in since 2016 and the village is examining its options to address its water issue.

For the first time in four and a half years, water levels are getting low in Copenhagen. Village Superintendent Doran Johnson calls the issue serious, but not critical.

“Right now I’ve got 30 feet of water in a well that normally has 87 feet. The village is not going to go without water, our tower is nearly full. But if I get down below 15-feet of water in the well, I’m not going to be able to pump enough gallons per minute to sustain the village,” he said.

The village is using a water treatment facility in the town of Denmark, where there are currently three wells. However, they need backup.

One option was to work with West Carthage.

“Their last request was to provide them with some prices to purchase water and if there was an option to use Pleasant Lake, our secondary supply of water, our backup source with the Department of Health,” said West Carthage Mayor Scott Burto.

Burto wrote a letter to Copenhagen Mayor Kenneth Clarke explaining they would not be able to give a cost due to their own water tower projects and added any Pleasant Lake water is the backup for both Carthage and West Carthage. Any other usage would be considered secondary.

But Burto never heard back.

“We were willing to work with them, provide them some options and just give them the opportunity to get back to us and tell us what they’d like to do,” he said.

Johnson says the most practical backup option is to rehabilitate an old facility on Woodbattle Road - a project that would cost $1 million.

“We’re looking to establish some wells that we used years ago as a secondary backup to eliminate this very scenario,” said Johnson.

Mayor Clarke didn’t get back to us. Meanwhile, Copenhagen residents are told to conserve water, which means don’t water your lawns, gardens, wash your cars, or top off pools.

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