City ponders water agreement with county

Acting Mayor R. Carlos Carballada submitted legislation to City Council this week, requesting authorization to enter into a 25-year water exchange agreement with the Monroe County Water Authority.

“Rochester and Monroe County are fortunate to have access to multiple, high-quality and affordable fresh water sources,” Carballada said. “This agreement will help to ensure stable rates for our customers for the future.”

Paul Holahan, commissioner of the city’s Environmental Services Department, said the proposal provides a price structure for exchanging water and sharing capital costs in a manner that benefits both parties.

The new “buy-sell” agreement enables the exchange of billions of gallons of water between the two systems at an established rate and optimizes the availability of water to the city and county. The city and the MCWA will each produce, supply and make available to the other party up to 26 million gallons of water per day.

Under the new agreement, the City and MCWA will continue to share certain capital costs for system improvements that benefit the customers of both entities. The agreement also guarantees that each party has an adequate supply of high-quality water, even in high demand or drought conditions.