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.