A project to bring municipal water to the Dutchess BOCES campus, which has been about five years in the making, has made significant progress over the past six months, with completion expected this fall.
The Dutchess County Water and Wastewater Authority awarded a contract to Amity Construction in fall 2025 to bring about 3,300 feet of water pipe down Peach Road, which runs parallel to the BOCES campus. Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations Mike Skerritt noted that work has been moving smoothly since it started this spring and estimates it will be complete by either September or October.
“Most of the lines have actually been placed by Amity; now they’re waiting on the pump station that has about an 18-week lead time,” Skerritt explained. “All of the core infrastructure in terms of piping is in place to bring it to the foot of our campus.”
The water will then have to be brought onto the campus, with Skerritt noting that much of the piping was laid down throughout our campus during the capital project, which broke ground in 2020, in anticipation of eventual approval for this work.
Skerritt said the last piece of the project is to connect that piping, which ends close to the BOCES sign at the campus’ en
trance, to skirt along the storm water retention pond and in front of the Lower B parking lot to connect to municipal water lines on Peach Road. Boyce Excavation was awarded the contract to complete this work in April, and is expected to finish by late July.
“It’s a nice clean run,” Skerritt said of this aspect of the project. “We’ll then wait for the county to finish their work and we’ll tap in, and we hope that by late October we’ll be able to have municipal water on this campus.”
Currently, BOCES uses a well which is treated daily to maintain the pipes and infrastructure. The well is at the end of its life, and a survey completed by an engineering firm recommended pursuing municipal water instead of rebuilding the well, according to Director of Facilities and Operations Cole Bender. The well will be decommissioned once municipal water is brought onto campus.
“This will help not only our own staff and students to be able to drink the water, but it will be a cleaner product for our piping and infrastructure,” Skerritt said. “I can’t wait to get off the well water we’ve traditionally had here.”
Skerritt thanks Dutchess County, whose auto center lies across the street from BOCES, for their efforts on the project; District Superintendent Dr. Jodi DeLucia, the entire Board of Education and its Facilities Committee for approving and supporting it, as well as former School Business Official Matt Metzger, whom he credits for doing much of the legwork to make it a reality.
“I’m going to make Matt drink the first glass,” Skerritt said with a smile. “We’re now on the doorstep, and I can’t wait for us to finally tap in.”
