Niskayuna water study falls far short

I recently attended the Niskayuna Water Study Meeting conducted by Raftelis on Sept. 4. What I found most concerning was how limited the scope of the study actually was.

A proper water study should examine the full cost of operating the system each year — labor, non-revenue water losses, and other expenses that drive up bills beyond personal usage. It should also identify cost-cutting opportunities and review the past three to four years of expenses to flag irregularities. None of this was included. Instead, taxpayers spent $30,000 on a study that fell short of traditional best practices.

The contract with Raftelis confirms these gaps. The Town Board and interim supervisor approved terms that only looked at projected revenue requirements and offered different billing options. Each option raises costs for residents without addressing the root cause of last year’s sharp rate increases or examining whether past expenses were reasonable.

In effect, the town paid $30,000 to create a new billing methodology that justifies higher water bills,........

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