Bedford Will Temporarily Tap Mount Kisco For Water

BEDFORD, NY — Bedford will temporarily use Mount Kisco water connections to supply water to residents on Thursday and Friday of this week.

Officials said the move is needed as part of planning for the New York City Delaware Aqueduct shutdown scheduled for October of next year. Bedford will be getting its water supply from an interconnection with the Village of Mount Kisco on Thursday and Friday.

The Bedford Consolidated Water District is alerting customers that they may notice a slightly different taste and odor due to the change in supply. It is also possible that some water discoloration from iron in the water mains may occur due to flow direction changes in the water mains. The flow direction will change since the Mount Kisco interconnection is on the opposite side of the system from Bedford's normal supply.

The good news is that Bedford just recently completed its annual water main flushing, which should reduce the risk of discolored water.

The Bedford Consolidated Water District, which serves approximately 2,000 customers in Bedford Hills and Katonah, has two primary sources of supply — the Delaware Aqueduct and Cross River Reservoir, both of which also supply water to New York City. The primary source for Bedford is the Delaware Aqueduct. In late 2022, New York City plans to require that the District use alternative supplies for approximately eight months due to construction work on the Delaware Aqueducts.

The town has been periodically using and treating the Cross River Supply in preparation for the required shutdown of access to the Delaware Aqueduct. Recently, however, the water district received complaints about taste and odor concerns due to the presence of Methyl-Isoborneol (MIB) in the water. The naturally occurring compound has a very strong earthy taste and odor.

The district said it is evaluating the use of special treatments to remove MIB and is also looking into using an alternate water supply. These alternate supplies include the water district’s Harris Road Well in addition to the Mount Kisco interconnection.

Customers are asked to contact the Bedford DPW Water Division at 914-666-7855 or water@bedfordny.gov with any questions.