Ticonderoga residents are going to lose their water. Now, they’re suing.
Residents in Ticonderoga, a town in southern Essex County, are suing the town, the state and the federal government.
The lawsuit filed this month states the residents in Ticonderoga feel there is no concrete solution.
Gooseneck Pond is currently one of the main drinking water sources for many people, but the U.S. Department of Justice said it does not meet federal safe drinking water standards. That means the town needs to come up with a new filtration source.
DOJ has kept a close eye on Ticonderoga for several years now. The DOJ gets involved when states are not enforcing the Safe Drinking Water Act requirements or when a state’s enforcement efforts have been unsuccessful.
In 2018, Ticonderoga made an agreement with the DOJ to make a switch by 2025.
The lawsuit states two things:
- Residents wants the Environmental Protection Agenecy and New York State’s Department of Health, DOH, to jump back in and help sort this out.
- Ticonderoga still does not have a solution that makes sense to everyone
One of the proposed solutions from town leaders right now is to switch to well water, but the residents would have to pay tens of thousands of dollars themselves to drill private or communal wells.
Bill Grinnell, one of the residents filing the suit, said they want a plan that includes filtration and treatment of the sources the town has always used, instead of changing to new wells that don’t serve everyone.
He and some other people have already switched to well water, but it’s hard water and Grinnell has spent a lot of money to remedy it.
“I have spent over $2,000 in water softening equipment and supplies. Many of my neighbors have done the same thing, if they can afford to, they’re getting water softeners. If they can’t, they’re just out of luck,” Grinnell said.
Ticonderoga town leaders said they can’t make any comment because of the lawsuit.
13Investigates is still waiting to hear back from the EPA and DOH.
On Sunday, 13Investigates will tell you about Todd Condon. Condon, a life-long Ticonderoga resident, lives paycheck to paycheck. He might have to pay up to $30,000 to get drinking water to his home.
“I don’t want to lose the water. I don’t think I could financially afford to move,” Condon said.
Condon said he’s being left to dry.
The story airs on Sunday, Oct. 29 live at 11, after the Bears – Chargers game. We’ll also publish it on WNYT.com.