The mission of the Authority is to protect and enhance the health, environmental sustainability and economic stability of Dutchess County and its residents through the provision of clean drinking water and proper treatment of wastewater, acting at all times with a commitment to accountability and transparency.
As an owner and operator of water and wastewater systems, the Authority is committed to the provision of reliable water and wastewater service with quality customer service and at a reasonable cost, commensurate with the cost of proper operation and environmental stewardship.
Through our knowledgeable and innovative team of professionals, the Authority offers assistance to the County and its municipalities in all issues related to the planning, development, financing and operation of water and wastewater infrastructure, and the identification of aquifer and other groundwater sources.
The Authority is governed by a Board of Directors appointed by the County Executive and the County Legislature. Thomas LeGrand, a Rhinebeck businessman, chairs the Board of Directors.Vincent J. DiMaso, a commercial real estate broker living in the Town of Poughkeepsie, is the Vice Chairperson. Rudy Vavra, an artist with a background in environmental design architecture from Milan, serves as Treasurer. Lawrence Knapp, who works in construction management, is the Secretary. Ex-officio board members include Eoin Wrafter, Acting Commissioner of Dutchess County Planning and Development, and Brian Scoralick, Acting Manager of the County Soil and Water Conservation District. Bridget Barclay heads up the Authority staff as the Executive Director, with Mary Morris as the Deputy Director.
The Authority currently owns and operates thirteen water systems, six sewer systems and one water transmission system, located within ten different municipalities. Collectively these systems serve just over 5,500 residential and commercial customer connections. Through strong operational oversight and sound fiscal management, the Authority strives to provide reliable service to our water and sewer system customers while maintaining long-term rate stability and affordability. The Authority’s ability to bond at competitive interest rates, due to the backing of Dutchess County, combined with the project management capabilities of our full-time professional staff, have enabled us to consistently complete major capital improvement and expansion projects on-time and on-budget. In addition, the Authority has often been successful in obtaining grants and low-interest loans to keep project costs as low as possible.
Since 1995, the Authority has completed over $45 million dollars in capital improvement projects. The largest was the $30 million Central Dutchess Water Transmission Line, which runs 13-miles from Poughkeepsie to East Fishkill, along public roadways and the County-owned Maybrook corridor (site of the future Central Dutchess Rail Trail.) This water main provides a link from the Hudson River to the central and southern areas of Dutchess County, providing more options for safe and secure water supplies for existing and future development in this region. Former County Executive William Steinhaus was instrumental in securing over $22 million in funding for this project from the State and IBM Corporation. The project was completed in 2007.
Authority staff is available to provide technical assistance to communities regarding the management of existing water and sewer systems, as well as the planning and development of new infrastructure. The Authority is currently providing technical and/or funding assistance to potential new water and sewer projects to several municipalities in Dutchess County. In addition, the Authority continues to work with the County Department of Planning and Development in support of water resource management activities.
Additional information on the Authority is available through the various links on this website. If you need additional information, please contact us.
