United Water New York's proposal to build a reverse osmosis desalinization and filtration plant to supply Rockland County with drinking water from the Hudson River leaves many with a bad taste in their mouth and concerns about the quality of our drinking water, how the plant will affect the ecosystem of the river, the increased development it will bring on land — and at what cost?

On Monday, July 14 at 8:00 pm, the Haverstraw Town Board will consider United Water's request to build a "pilot" testing building, — the first stage for construction for a Hudson River Desalination-Filtration Plant. Haverstraw is anxious to push the plan ahead. However, we need to open our eyes and fully understand the impact of the United Water proposal.

• Does drinking Hudson River water pose risks to human health?
  Can United Water remove all legacy pollutants from Hudson River water, including strontium 90, cesium, tritium and radioactive nuclides that leak from Indian Point, PCBs, and more?  While we have been warned for years that it is unhealthy to eat many of the fish in the Hudson River, suddenly, United Water wants to assure us that filtered drinking the water from the Hudson River will be safe. How do we know this is true? What additional negative impacts will water intake and discharge have on fish life in our Hudson River?

• Should we pay significant rate increases, tied to skyrocketing energy prices?
  Desalination is extremely energy intensive and comes with a high price tag for operational costs. United Water has been vague about the exact increase, which could be 200-300% and significantly higher water rates in Rockland will be forever pegged to rapidly rising energy costs. While everyone tries to reduce their carbon footprint of energy use, United Water's plan will increase greenhouse gas emissions with increased energy use and expense for an expanded water resource that Rockland may not need.

• Will "unlimited" water lead to "unlimited" new development at ratepayer expense?
  An over expanded water resource feeds United Waterâ??s plan to provide much greater capacity for building in Rockland with taxpayers subsidizing more over development throughout Rockland. United Water's plan will become a financial burden with taxpayers assuming costs to expand our local roads, drainage infrastructure, sewerage capacity, municipal services and schools.

• Should Rockland residents pay higher rates and hidden costs as water is shipped to NJ?
  Is the timing of the recent $1.8M bond for the Joint Regional Sewer System in Haverstraw merely a coincidence?  Are improvements to waste capacity and treatment part of a bigger plan to clean expected toxic waste residues for river water filtration and in anticipation of new population growth?  If so, this could constitute illegal segmentation of the SEQRA review. United Water expects Rockland residents to drink Hudson River water and pay higher rates for desalination-filtration, while our water is being shipped to Bergen County, NJ.

• Why has United Water abandoned Ambrey Pond Reservoir in Stony Point?
  Ambrey Pond Reservoir, on the books since the 1980s, would be both a welcomed tax ratable in Stony Point and a much cleaner, less expensive and more sustainable water source alternative for the needs of Rockland when we consider the tremendous operating costs for a desalination-filtration plant that will forever be driven by energy costs.

• Aren't limits to growth and water conservation the real alternatives needed 
  Rockland needs regional water planning with sensible limits to growth, permitting growth only to the limit of our resources, along with policies that require water conservation.

Twenty years ago, people would have laughed if we told them that little bottles of water would be selling for $1.50 and gasoline for $5.00 per gallon. Drinking water is a vital resource that is in critical supply as it's being privatized around the world by international corporate "cartels" like Suez, United Water's parent company. United Water has had its PR firm spin a story in the local press that makes its plan appear as the best and only alternative. However, we need to take a harder look and answer the critical question of whether it makes sense for Rockland County residents, before it is allowed to proceed.

The Rockland Coalition for Sustainable Water has formed to include the Rockland County Conservation Association, Rockland Sierra Club, Nanuet Civic Association, Spring Valley Concerned Citizens Coalition, Preserve Ramapo, Ramapo River Committee, Ramapo River Watershed Intermunicipal Council, Stony Point Action Committee for the Environment and more.

We urge you to attend the July 14th public hearing and make your voices heard!

George Potanovic, Jr.
President, SPACE

The writer is president of the Stony Point Action Committee for the Environment, SPACE.