Energy

Fiction: Reverse osmosis is inefficient and energy-intensive.

Fact: Reverse osmosis technology has become more efficient over the years, resulting in lower energy requirements and operating costs.

The amount of salt in a water body is directly proportional to the amount of energy necessary to remove it through reverse osmosis membranes. On average, Hudson River water near Haverstraw has 90 percent less salt than seawater.

Fiction: Alternatives like wastewater reuse or a new reservoir would use much less energy.

Fact: The amount of energy required for wastewater reuse would be similar to the Haverstraw Water Supply Project. Wastewater reuse is a viable alternative. However, wastewater must first be treated to be replaced in the environment and then treated again to be made safe for drinking water purposes using the same reverse osmosis technology proposed in the Haverstraw Water Supply Project.

Building a new reservoir on the Ambrey property in Stony Point would also require energy levels close to those required by the proposed project. Because a new reservoir would not yield enough water to satisfy the needs of a long-term water supply project, water would have to be pumped into the reservoir from nearby Cedar Pond Brook.

Fiction: United Water is not employing methods to reduce energy use or greenhouse gas emissions.

Fact: Subject to final design considerations, there are several aspects of the proposed project that serve to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions:

• Detailed system design will be focused on energy efficiency.
• Buildings at the water pumping station and at the water treatment plant will be designed to meet LEED energy efficiency requirements.
• Development of the project would be phased, so that facilities would be expanded or brought on line only as needed to meet the demand for water.
• Water could be withdrawn from the Hudson River during the ebb tide, when salinity is generally lowest, resulting in reduced energy requirements for pumping and desalination.
• Rainwater will be harvested on-site for use as raw water. This water would have lower salinity and therefore require less energy for treatment.