Where Does Our Water Come From?

The New Castle Water System relies on the New York City Aqueduct and Reservoir Systems for its entire raw water supply. Our primary source is the Catskill Aqueduct System fed by the Ashokan Reservoir, with the New Croton Aqueduct fed by the Croton Reservoir System serving as our secondary source. We prefer the Catskill Supply due to its superior water quality and lower treatment costs at our Millwood Water Treatment Plant.

During 2017, our system maintained consistent access to our Catskill reservoir supply. The NYS Department of Health has evaluated potential contamination risks under the Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP). It's important to note these assessments only estimate potential risks using available data and don't indicate actual contamination has occurred.

The New Castle/Stanwood WD's Millwood Water Treatment Plant complies with the Surface Water Treatment Rule requirements and has consistently delivered high-quality water exceeding minimum safety standards since coming online in August 1993. The plant is supervised by NYS Certified Water Treatment Plant operators 24/7 and employs a five-step treatment process designed to use minimal chemicals:

• Initial mixing to distribute treatment chemicals
• Flocculation to trap impurities like bacteria, viruses and minerals
• Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) process
• Filtration to remove remaining particles
• Disinfection before distribution

This comprehensive approach ensures your tap water meets or exceeds all mandated quality standards for turbidity, microbial content, and disinfection byproducts.

1. What does Water RTS mean on my water bill? This is a base fee charged to all customers connected to the water system. This amount remains consistent year-round regardless of water consumption.
2. What does Normal Water mean on my water bill? This is the rate charged for your actual water usage each month. This amount varies significantly based on your meter reading, which occurs around the 10th of each month.
3. What does Sewer RTS mean on my water bill? This is a base fee charged to all customers connected to the central sewer system. This amount remains the same throughout the year regardless of usage.
4. What does Sewer Usage mean on my water bill? This charge reflects your sewer consumption. Residential customers are billed based on actual water usage during January and February (non-irrigating months). The average from these months determines your sewer rate for the year. Commercial customers are charged based on actual water consumption year-round.
5. What does the Sewer Debt Service Fee mean on my water bill? This flat fee applies to customers connected to the central sewer system and remains constant year-round. It is not based on consumption.
6. What does Penalty mean on my water bill? This fee applies to overdue balances. A balance becomes overdue if payment isn't received by the 25th of each month.
7. What does Disconnection/Reconnection Fee mean on my water bill? This $100 fee applies to customers whose service has been disconnected due to non-payment.
8. What does Transfer Fee mean on my water bill? This $15 fee is charged to new customers establishing service.
9. What does Service Charge mean on my water bill? This $105 fee applies to service requests outside normal business hours (7:00am to 3:30pm, Monday through Friday).
10. What happens if I don't pay my water bill? Your water service will be disconnected. You must pay the outstanding balance plus the $100 disconnection/reconnection fee before service restoration. Payment requires debit/credit card, cash, or certified funds.
11. When is my water bill due? Water bills are due by the 20th of each month.
12. Is there a grace period for paying my bill? Yes, a five-day grace period exists. Payments received after the 25th incur late fees.