Water Department
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About our Water System and Treatment Plant
The Village Water Department is a district and is set up under the law to be outside of the general tax base. It is a "fee for service" paid by the consumers of water on the basis of a metered charge regulated by the Board of Trustees under the laws of the State of New York.
Residents are billed by section on a quarterly basis. Senior discounts are available. Commercial accounts are billed monthly. Some town residents and commercial customers pay an allowable "out of district" fee as per New York State law.
Rhinebeck water comes from surface water in the Hudson River and is pumped into a state-of-the-art water treatment plant owned and operated by the Village of Rhinebeck under the continuous supervision of the Dutchess County Department of Health and the New York State Health Department.
As part of our effort to protect our drinking water source, Rhinebeck co-founded an inter-municipal council with six other municipalities. Find out more about The Hudson 7’s advocacy and policy work in partnership with Riverkeeper to ensure we have clean drinking water.
Water Department Personnel
Office Hours: 9:00am-4:00pm Mon.-Fri. (closed holidays)
Plant Hours: 4:00 am-4:00pm Everyday
Kyle Eighmy
Superintendent of Public Works
845-392-8026
Bryan Alix
Chief Water Treatment Plant Operator, Grade II, D-Distribution
Water Plant 845-876-7331
Water Department Cellphone 518-947-9500
Water@villageofrhinebeckny.gov
Tony Fata - Water Treatment Plant Operator, Grade II
Matt Green- Water Treatment Plant Operator
Thomas Mueller- Water Treatment Plant Operator
Krissy Denu, Water Clerk
Tel: 845-876-7015 option 5
Fax: 845-876-5583
CDenu@villageofrhinebeckny.gov
Water Main Flushing
Each year the Rhinebeck Water Department flushes water mains by opening hydrants throughout the town and village, as it is a necessity to maintain the water lines in the system. Flushing moves the water through the mains at such a high speed as to loosen the deposits of iron and manganese and remove them from the system. However, flushing stirs up sediment and can result in discolored water in your home. The discoloration is not harmful, and usually will clear up when you let your water run for a while. At times, homeowners also experience a loss of water pressure during the operation, because so much water is being diverted to the hydrant. Though flushing can be an inconvenience for some people, our crews do their best to keep the inconvenience to a minimum and, in the long run, customers enjoy clearer water as a result.
Before engaging in a program of flushing, we do our best to alert our customers to the possibility of discolored water. We post notices in the Daily Freeman prior to and during flushing and we run a message on Channel 23, PANDA, the local cable access station as well as our Village website. Notices are posted in the Village Hall, sent to our biggest volume customers, but still, some customers are caught unawares and find that their clothes are spotted and discolored. In many cases, rewashing the clothes with Iron-Out (which is available at local hardware stores) when the water is running clear, will remove the discoloration.
You may need to flush your hot water tank after we have flushed the water mains. If your hot water continues to be discolored after your cold water has cleared up, flushing your hot water tank is often the answer. Simply attach a garden hose to the outlet at the bottom of your tank and let the water run outside, preferably into a white bucker, until it runs clear. Manufacturers recommend that we flush our hot water tanks twice a year to keep them free of sediment.
We ask everyone’s cooperation and patience during this procedure. Please call the Village Hall 876-7015 if you have any questions. Thank you.
Drinking Water Quality
Annual water reports are published and sent to all customers detailing extensive testing and compliance with Health Department Standards on a daily and cumulative reporting schedule.
Rhinebeck’s water has met all health standards for the past 10 years. Rhinebeck Village Water is certifiably clean and pure by NY State Health standards.
Water Main Repair
The Water Department is at the plant 7 days a week, 4am to 4pm. Call Water Plant if you notice a water main break (845-876-7331).
If there’s no answer and it’s during Village Hours 9am to 4pm, you should call Village Hall (845-876-7015), so our Water Department Clerk can create a work order and shepherd the process through the Water Department.
If it’s a water emergency during non-business hours or holidays, and no one is answering at the Water Plant, call the Water Department cell: 518-947-9500. Failing that, call Superintendent of Public Works, Kyle Eighmy, at 845-392-8026.