The Hudson 7 has been following PFAS contamination at the Dutchess County Fire Training Center in Hyde Park for nearly six years. As the site moves from investigation toward cleanup, we are continuing to advocate for protections that account not only for contamination at the site, but for what happens downstream.

Our involvement dates back to November 2020, when the Hudson 7 discussed the Fire Training Center after it was added to the New York State Superfund Registry. Brad Barclay, formerly of the Dutchess County Department of Planning and Development, provided an update to the Hudson 7, including concerns about the historical use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam, ongoing testing, and potential cleanup responsibilities.

Since then, Hudson 7 Technical Advisor Eric Weinstock, a hydrologist, has picked up where Brad left off, closely following the investigation and providing the council with nearly monthly updates as the work progressed. His technical review has helped keep the Hudson 7 focused on the connection between contamination at the site, the Fall Kill, and the Hudson River drinking water supply.
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Six years after Hudson 7 first began tracking the issue, the investigation is complete—and the findings confirm the importance of those concerns.

According to NYSDEC's July 2026 fact sheet, the remedial investigation found PFAS contamination in soil, groundwater, stormwater, surface water, and sediment. The investigation also documented the movement of PFAS-contaminated water toward the Fall Kill, a tributary of the Hudson River approximately four miles downstream. That downstream connection is central to the Hudson 7's concern. 

On August 24, 2026, Hudson 7 successfully submitted Eric's detailed comments on the Remedial Investigation Report. The comments bring together the local concerns of Hyde Park and its Conservation Advisory Council with the broader regional responsibility of the Hudson 7 to protect downstream drinking water. Among other recommendations, the comments call on NYSDEC to consider a more protective surface water standard for the Fall Kill and to include long-term PFAS monitoring and a contingency plan to protect Hudson River drinking water intakes if PFAS concentrations increase

The Hudson 7 will continue to follow the Fire Training Center Site cleanup as NYSDEC moves toward the Feasibility Study and Preliminary Remedial Action Plan or PRAP.  In accordance with the Site's Citizen's Participation Plan, the PRAP requires that a mandatory public meeting and 30-day public comment period be completed before the Plan is finalized.

​During Hudson 7’s (H7) monthly meeting in June, technical advisor (engineering) Paul Malmrose provided an update on two ongoing efforts related to Hudson River water management and modeling.

The first update summarized a recent call with the Hudson River–Black River Regulating District. The discussion focused on the District’s role in reducing flood risk throughout the Hudson River watershed and increasing river flows during low-flow conditions. It also included an overview of the District’s network of streamflow gauges, as well as the operational thresholds and triggers that guide when management actions are taken.
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The second update summarized a meeting with the Hudson River Salt Front team, and their ongoing work focused on the behavior and modeling of the salt front in the tidal Hudson River. The group discussed using existing hydrodynamic models to identify and track the salt front’s location, along with the key physical factors that influence its movement and a range of scenario conditions. The modeling scope covers the tidal Hudson River from the Troy Dam southward, with the Upper Hudson and Mohawk Rivers serving as the primary upstream inputs to the system.

May 31, 2026, marks the eighth anniversary of the Hudson River Intermunicipal Council (Hudson 7). To celebrate, we are proud to host our third annual Drinking Water Professionals Appreciation Week from May 26–29.

​This year and going forward, we are updating the name of our annual event from “Water Operators Appreciation Week” to “Drinking Water Professionals Appreciation Week” to better reflect the full range of people who keep our water systems running. While water operators play a central and highly visible role, safe and reliable drinking water depends on a broader team, including maintenance staff, mechanics, lab technicians and administrative staff.

This year’s theme, “Going Above and Beyond: Hudson 7’s Drinking Water Professionals Appreciation Week—Stories from the Field,” highlights stories of tenacity, hard work, and quiet dedication from the professionals who keep our water systems running every day. Together, these teams routinely go beyond what is required because they are deeply committed to protecting the Hudson River as a source of drinking water. This week, we’re spotlighting staff from our Hudson 7 public water treatment plant partners and recognizing their commitment to providing reliable service to our communities.

Their efforts safeguard drinking water for more than 107,000 people across the region, as these professionals serve their individual communities and, together, form Hudson 7—demonstrating how their collective impact is greater than the sum of its parts. Whether responding to challenges in real time, maintaining critical systems, or ensuring water quality under demanding conditions, these teams exemplify what it means to go above and beyond every day.

Today’s spotlight: Joe Marcinelli, Head Maintenance Mechanic (Poughkeespies' Water Treatment Facility)

Can you tell us about a time when you had to go “above and beyond” to protect water quality or keep your system running? What happened, and what did it require of you at that moment?
​On January 22, 2014, the operator on duty called down to maintenance that the low lift pumps had dropped out, meaning there was no flow registering on the meters bringing water to the plant. We went to the low lift to investigate what the problem could be. When I opened the low lift well, I yelled out, “The well has gone dry!” I discovered there was no water in the well, something that had never been seen before or expected, since the Hudson River is what fills the well. It was a very concerning time because no water was getting to the pumps, so the plant could not make any drinking water. We began trying to figure out what may have happened to our intakes, and it was discovered that a phenomenon called "Frazil" ice had occurred. This type of ice forms when water is supercooled by wind and becomes heavier than water, causing it to sink. The ice was clogging our intake line.  I came up with the idea to blow compressed air out of the intake to try and push the ice out. Lo and behold, the compressed air did the trick. After a few hours, the plant was back online and making drinking water again.

​What’s something about your job that most people don’t see or understand, but is critical to keeping drinking water safe?
Our plant runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  There is a lot that the maintenance department does to make sure the operators can make drinking water.  We oversee chemical deliveries to make sure they are done safely.  We make sure the facility is safe by implementing security and safety measures to plowing in the winter.  Most importantly we make sure the equipment is working.  We are called when equipment isn’t working no matter the weather or time of day.  Weekend and middle of the night calls happen.  We come in to make sure the plant can get back to making water as soon as possible.  

What motivates you to do this work—especially on the tough days when the job demands more than expected?
For me, it is the taxpayers and the staff.  I think taxpayers deserve good drinking water and I like being part of that process.  I also think the staff here is amazing.  I always say that if you put this staff in the middle of a desert, with all the knowledge and experience each one brings, we would be able to work together to make good quality H2O.  

Last night, during the Hudson 7’s monthly council meeting on May 13, members heard a presentation from Brian Duffy, Chief of the Monitoring and Assessment Section for the Division of Water at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC). Mr. Duffy provided an overview of the state's new Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Roadmap.

The presentation covered the background of HABs in New York State, outlined the agency’s planned path forward, and highlighted a new HAB grant program designed to support prevention, monitoring, and response efforts.

What is the Hudson River Drinking Water Intermunicipal Council (Hudson 7) ?
The Hudson 7 is a collaboration of the mid-Hudson municipalities and counties that draw drinking water from the Hudson River Estuary for more than 107,000 people in the Town of Esopus, Town of Hyde Park, Town of Lloyd, Town and City of Poughkeepsie, Town and Village of Rhinebeck located in Dutchess and Ulster Counties. These communities are served by five drinking water treatment plants that utilize Hudson River water, operated by the City and Town of Poughkeepsie, Village of Rhinebeck (for the Village and Town of Rhinebeck), Town of Esopus, Town of Lloyd and Dutchess County Water and Wastewater Authority (for Hyde Park).

What makes the Hudson 7 important and unique?
The Hudson 7 is the first intermunicipal council of its kind in the history of the Hudson River.  It provides attention and advocacy to ensure that water protection is a primary goal, amid competing uses of the Hudson River.
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How did the Hudson 7 come about?
The concept was the brainchild of the Village of Rhinebeck Mayor Gary Bassett and Riverkeeper’s Dan Shapley. At a meeting on the banks of the Rondout Creek, they decided to reach out to each of the other communities that rely on the Hudson River as a drinking water source, and develop a platform that would encourage a collaboration between the five drinking water treatment plants.

What are the source waters for the Hudson 7?
The source waters for the Hudson 7 is the stretch of the Hudson River roughly between the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge and the Mid-Hudson Bridge; however, the land area that influences water there is vast. The Hudson River watershed is 13,400 square miles, encompassing much of southeastern New York State, and smaller portions of Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Connecticut.  Much of this watershed is “upstream” of the intakes of the Hudson River intakes, and because the river is tidal, water flows both ways.  Based on NYS Department of Health Source Water Assessments developed as a requirement of the Safe Drinking Water Act in the early 2000s, Dutchess County created this map to show the portion of the river and its watershed that was thought most important water for Hudson 7 communities. In 2021, the Hudson 7 communities were selected to participate in the Drinking Water Source Protection Program (DWSP2), a locally led, state-supported program that empowers municipalities to take action to improve and protect their public water sources and surrounding environment. The program offers free technical assistance to develop and implement community-specific drinking water source protection plans. The effort is focused in part on defining different geographic areas that are relevant to different types of potential contamination concerns. We expect that through the focus of the Hudson 7 on source water protection, we will continually refine understanding of the complexities related to potential contamination sources at different distances from our intakes.

When did the first Hudson 7 organizational meeting take place?
The first organizational meeting of the Hudson 7 took place on July 10, 2017 with Mayor Gary Bassett (Village of Rhinebeck), Randy Alstadt, (City of Poughkeepsie), Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia (Town of Rhinebeck), Supervisor Diane McCord (Town of Esopus), Supervisor-elect Shannon Harris (Town of Esopus), Water Superintendent Don Kiernan (Town of Esopus), Board member Bill Carlos (Town of Poughkeepsie), Supervisor Jay Baisley (Town of Poughkeepsie), Neil Curri (Town of Lloyd ECC), Board member and Deputy Supervisor Emily Svenson (Town of Hyde Park), Dan Shapley and Rebecca Martin (Riverkeeper).  An informal collaboration began with Riverkeeper to produce a report using Riverkeeper’s “Drinking Source Water Protection Scorecard” to develop recommendations. That report, authored by the Center for Watershed Protection and commissioned by Riverkeeper with funding from the Park Foundation, was released in February, 2018. Forming an intermunicipal council was among the top recommendations of the report, with a focus for the long term protection of the Hudson River as a drinking water source. The NYS Drinking Water Source Protection Program, which didn’t then exist, is now guiding the creation of a source water protection plan for the Hudson 7,  building on the Scorecard report. 

When was the intermunicipal agreement for the Hudson 7 established? 
The Hudson 7 intermunicipal council representing the seven municipalities that draw drinking water from the Hudson River was officially formed on May 31, 2018 when all seven municipalities gathered to sign an intermunicipal agreement and bylaws with a ceremony at Marist College’s historic Cornell Boathouse on the banks of the river in Poughkeepsie. The Hudson 7 has met monthly since then.

What are the Hudson 7’s goals?
The  Hudson 7 has outlined its goals each year since 2020.  In the Hudson 7 Bylaws, the council’s function is to do the following:

• Securing and sharing the public and private grants available to improve water quality in the Hudson River Estuary and its watershed, including water infrastructure and watershed protection projects;  
• Enhancing intergovernmental communication and coordination, providing for opportunities for shared services and a more efficient and cost-effective coordinated approach to implementing current and future source water protection projects; 
• Creating a forum for coordinating agencies and organizations at the municipal, county, regional, state and federal levels; 
• Coordinating long-term watershed stewardship to maintain and improve water quality; and 
• Speaking with a unified voice advocating for common interests, and for sharing the experience and lessons learned with other communities. 

Who are the voting members of the Hudson 7?
The Hudson 7 voting members currently include one primary representative and one alternate member from the seven (7) municipalities and two (2) counties for a term of two years (Dutchess and Ulster County became voting members of the Hudson 7 in the summer of 2022, bringing the council voting members to nine). The primary representative is an elected official. The alternate representative may be an elected official, an employee or contractor of the municipality, a resident of the municipality, or another appropriate representative.  Both primary and alternative representatives are always invited to attend the monthly council meetings. When the primary representative is not available to meet in person, the alternative representative, if available, will vote on behalf of the municipality/county.   Please read the Hudson 7 Bylaws for more information.

Who are the non-voting members of the Hudson 7?
The council may include other non-municipal entities or individuals as non-voting members. Non-voting members also include pro bono technical advisors with various topics of expertise from agencies, entities or individuals that can assist in the implementation of source water protection actions. 

Where does the council meet for their monthly meetings? 
The Hudson 7 council’s monthly meeting is hybrid, held at the Poughkeepsie Water Treatment Facility (PWTF) located on the Marist College campus and on zoom.  The Hudson 7 has a YouTube channel where it streams its monthly meetings live for the public to view in real time. Recordings are also available at the YouTube channel.

What constitutes a quorum during the Hudson 7’s monthly meetings?
A quorum, consisting of a majority of the voting primary or alternate membership, is required for the council to vote on an action. With a total of nine (9) voting members, five (5) voting members must present (in-person or remove) for the council to vote on any agenda items. ​ 

How does the Hudson 7 make decisions?
At any meeting of the council, the general principles of parliamentary procedure, or Robert’s Rules of Order, are observed. The council is governed by its bylaws that were adopted in August of 2019 with amendments along the way.  Each municipality and county has one vote, which may be exercised during the council’s hybrid meetings, by the designated primary representative, or in their absence, by the designated alternate representative.  All actions taken by the council shall be by an affirmative vote of the majority of the total voting members.

How can I track the Hudson 7’s work history?
The Hudson 7 shares all of its agenda, minutes, key source materials and video from its monthly meetings located on its website under the meetings page tab.  Notable press is also available.   The Hudson 7 recently released a motions document that tracks its motions since it started to meet officially in 2018 to present. 

Does the Hudson 7 have committees? 
Yes. The council forms committees, to work in conjunction with the council, as necessary to carry out the functions and goals of the council. Responsibilities of each committee are determined by the council at the time each committee is formed. A committee may include voting members and non-voting members of the council and any other non-council member appointed to the committee by the council to fulfill the charge of the committee and to obtain public input and participation in ongoing activities. Currently, all committees (active or inactive) are posted on the Hudson 7's about page.

Does the Hudson 7 have any funding currently?
All seven municipalities and two counties have contributed to fund the council’s first Source Water Protection Coordinator.  The total amount contributed between nine entities is $75,000 per year.  The council has hired Rebecca Martin, a former Riverkeeper staff member who helped convene and coordinate the founding of Hudson 7 in 2017 and has been involved with the council since then, as a consultant beginning in 2023. In this role, she helps develop the council's goals, coordinates and advances priority projects, and provides monthly report at council meetings on activities supporting the council's work. 

How can the public participate?
The Hudson 7 council meetings provide public comment at the beginning of its monthly meetings in person,  on zoom or in writing. Hudson 7 meetings are also live streamed on the council’s YouTube page. You can find this information on the Hudson 7’s website meeting page. 

​By Paul Malmrose, Hudson 7 Technical Advisor/Engineering
(Click on image above to watch the presentation from 2022)

While climate change and rising sea levels have drawn widespread attention to flooding, another serious and less visible threat is already unfolding.  The salt front is moving farther up estuaries such as the Hudson River. The salt front’s position varies throughout the year, based primarily on the amount of freshwater flowing into the Hudson from upstream and its various tributaries. As sea level rises, the salt front’s position remains variable, but saline water from the ocean effectively pushes farther inland more frequently. Already, during certain drought conditions, water treatment plants issue advisories to alert those on low-sodium diets that their water contains elevated sodium levels, and these episodes often correspond with an increase in complaints about the changing taste of tap water. If salinity levels persist at high concentrations, drinking water may become unsafe or unpalatable unless alternative sources are secured or treatment is implemented–potentially at an astronomical cost.

Since 1900, sea level in the lower Hudson has risen 15 inches.  Sea level along the tidal Hudson is projected to increase by 12 to 17 inches by the 2050s and by 25 to 46 inches by the 2100s compared to a 1995-2014 baseline.  While sea-level rise is increasing, salt intrusion is influenced by multiple factors that make predicting future conditions difficult. For instance, past sea-level rise has not resulted in a notable consistent change in salinity in the mid-Hudson in part because there have also been increases in precipitation and freshwater runoff, which help prevent saline water from pushing farther north. The Hudson River Drinking Water Intermunicipal Council (Hudson 7) – a partnership of seven municipalities and two counties–came together to address emerging threats such as the advancing salt front. Hudson 7 includes the City of Poughkeepsie, the Village of Rhinebeck, the Towns of Poughkeepsie, Hyde Park, Rhinebeck, Esopus and Lloyd, as well as Dutchess and Ulster Counties, collectively serving more than 107,000 people. 

In February 2021, Hudson 7 contacted the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to ask whether any studies had been conducted to determine the effects of sea-level rise on the salt front in the Hudson River. DEC had recognized on its website that the salt front could extend further north in the Hudson River, though much of the public discussion had focused on flooding.  DEC also noted that the United States Geological Survey (USGS) had been collecting data on salt concentrations in the Hudson River, and agreed that a study to better understand the issue would be valuable.  

In January 2022, Hudson 7 contacted environmental experts from Riverkeeper, scientists from the Cary Institute, engineering experts from Tighe & Bond and Jacob Engineering Group, scientists from USGS, professors from Cornell and Marist University, as well as regulators from DEC, the Department of Health (DOH), and drinking water operators from the Hudson Valley.

In February 2022, Hudson 7 organized a meeting with these experts to share information about the advancing salt front. The salt front is defined as the point where chloride concentrations reach 100 mg/L–far below seawater’s 19,000 mg/L. Under both federal and state drinking water standards, chloride limits are classified as a Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level, which relates to drinking water aesthetics such as taste, odor, and color.  Chloride concentrations must remain below 250 mg/L, in order to avoid a salty taste. There are no regulatory limits for sodium, but federal and state health guidelines recommend that sodium concentrations remain below 20 mg/L for individuals on very low-sodium diets, and below 270 mg/L for those on moderately restricted-sodium diets. 

Currently, the City and Town of Poughkeepsie’s water consistently exceeds the 20 mg/L sodium threshold, averaging around 25 mg/L in recent years, with a gradual increase in the annual average over time. During the salt front event of 2025, some high tides had sodium concentration levels that exceeded the 270 mg/L sodium guideline for moderately restricted diets, and chloride concentrations were above the 250 mg/L Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL).  The 2025 salt front event brought the highest chloride concentration on record for the Poughkeepsies’ Water Treatment Facility (PWTF) at 1,100 mg/L. This is more than three times higher than the recorded chloride concentration of 342 mg/L that occurred during the 1960s drought when the salt front advanced as far north as Kingston. 

Sea-level rise is expected to worsen the problem. These increases could push the salt front farther up the Hudson, potentially affecting all five drinking water treatment plants in the Hudson Valley. Similar concerns have been raised along the Delaware and Savannah Rivers.

In February 2022, Hudson 7 and Riverkeeper submitted written testimony to the New York Joint Legislative Public Hearing on the Executive Budget Proposal for Environmental Conservation, requesting funding to study salt front advancement. As a result, $500,000 was awarded to the USGS to develop a probabilistic model to predict salt front movement. 

At the same time, Hudson 7 organized a series of meetings to define studies and action plans, including:
  

1. Probabilistic Model for Salt Front Prediction – Projecting the location of the salt front and the number of days it may affect drinking water intakes and ecosystems over the next 50 years. 
2. Engineering Study to Develop Solutions for the Advancing Salt Front:  Evaluating potential responses, such as alternative water sources or additional treatment, both of which could be extremely costly. 
3. Ecological Effects of the Advancing Salt: Assessing impacts on Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV), wetlands, and aquatic life. 
   
   

These study scopes were finalized at the Hudson 7 meeting on September 28, 2022, and submitted to DEC.  Following this work, on October 24, 2024, DEC held a kickoff meeting with USGS. The project is now scheduled for completion in September 2027.  This spring, DEC and USGS plan to meet with Hudson 7 and other experts to review scenarios. Additional information is available on the USGS website.

​While the probabilistic model is underway, it represents only the first step. If the model indicates that drinking water will be at risk, communities and water providers can begin the hard work of developing and funding solutions. The model might not show an immediate threat, but sea level rise is almost certain, and increased freshwater flows from precipitation, as well as the river’s geomorphology, are additional factors that will influence salt front conditions. 

The urgency of this issue became unmistakable this past summer when drought conditions reduced river flow, and Atlantic storms pushed salt water farther upriver. As a result, the City of Poughkeepsie had to notify customers on very low-sodium diets to avoid drinking tap water.

As this history shows, Hudson 7 has been addressing the advancing salt front since February 2021–nearly five years ago. With DEC’s first phase of the study expected in September 2027, staying informed about local water conditions is key to protecting drinking water in the years ahead.  

For more on this, read: Hudson 7: Seven Campaigns and Key Actions 2020-2024 (The Advancement of the Salt Front in the Hudson River Due to Climate Change)

An updated analysis shows 107,841 people rely on drinking water drawn from the Hudson River—supporting homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals across communities in Dutchess and Ulster counties, and serving all who live, work, or visit them.

The Hudson River Drinking Water Intermunicipal Council—known as the Hudson 7—continues to protect a vital regional resource: drinking water drawn from the Hudson River.

During the Council’s February meeting, members heard a presentation from Dan Shapley of Riverkeeper outlining updated estimates of the population served by water systems that treat Hudson River water.

The numbers show the reach of this shared resource is growing. Previously estimated at just over 106,000 people, the updated analysis finds that 107,841 residents now receive drinking water treated from the Hudson River Estuary through systems in the Hudson 7 communities.

These systems include the Poughkeepsies' Water Treatment Facility, the Village of Rhinebeck Water Treatment Plant, the Town of Lloyd Water Plant, the Dutchess County Water and Wastewater Authority (DCWWA) and the Roger Mabie Water Treatment Plant in the Town of Esopus. Together, they supply drinking water to communities including the City and Town of Poughkeepsie, Town of Hyde Park, Village and Town of Rhinebeck, Town of Lloyd, Town of Esopus, and several surrounding water districts and systems all within Ulster and Dutchess Counties. 

But the number of residents served tells only part of the story.

In addition to homes, these drinking water systems support businesses, hospitals, colleges, schools, and industries across the region. Institutions such as Marist College or Ulster BOCES, along with countless workplaces and community facilities, depend on this reliable supply of clean drinking water every day.

That means the Hudson 7 is more than a coalition of municipalities—it represents a critical service for everyone who lives, works, studies, or visits these communities. Protecting the quality of Hudson River drinking water safeguards not only public health, but also the economic vitality and essential services that sustain the region.

As the population served continues to grow, the importance of coordinated protection of the Hudson River becomes even clearer. Through collaboration among municipalities and counties, water system operators, partner organizations and the public, the Hudson 7 works to ensure that this shared drinking water source remains clean and reliable for the communities that depend on it.

Because when we protect the Hudson River, we protect the water that sustains more than 107,000 people—and the many institutions and services that make these communities thrive.

Congressman Pat Ryan’s Hudson River Protection Act has been signed into law, marking a victory for the Hudson River and the communities that rely on it for drinking water. The law permanently bans additional barge anchorages on the Hudson, preventing large industrial barges from using the river as a parking lot and reducing the risk of pollution, spills, and habitat damage.  In effect, the bill freezes anchorage locations between Yonkers and Kingston as they were in early 2021.

For the Hudson 7, anchorage policy directly affects water quality and public safety for the more than 100,000 people in seven mid-Hudson municipalities that rely on the Hudson River for drinking water. 

“The Hudson 7 is an intermunicipal council representing seven mid-Hudson municipalities that rely on the Hudson River as a drinking water source for more than 100,000 people in Ulster and Dutchess Counties, and that responsibility demands a precautionary approach to the siting and regulation of activities on the Hudson River,” said Gary Bassett, Chair of the Hudson 7.  “While the Hudson 7 will continue to closely monitor activities that could threaten our drinking water supplies or the river’s critical habitat, today we thank Congressman Ryan for his sustained leadership in advancing the Hudson River Protection Act.”

Hudson 7 will continue to advocate for stronger protections and greater flexibility to safeguard our shared drinking water source.