CITY OF NEWBURGH — Mayor Judy Kennedy said the state has given verbal agreement to help Newburgh bear the cost to buy water from New York City’s Catskill Aqueduct as the city copes with the contamination-related closure of its main water supply and the looming depletion of its backup source.

Details have yet to be worked out but the state committed to helping subsidize the estimated $233,000 a month it would cost to buy millions of gallons of day from New York City, Kennedy said during an emergency City Council meeting on Thursday.

Finding the money to pay that amount has been one of Newburgh’s greatest worries ever since Washington Lake was closed due to levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate, part of a family of chemicals tied to numerous health problems and a source of growing concern nationwide.

More details on the state’s commitment will be available during the next week, Kennedy said.

“First of all, it's relief, because the last thing in the world any of our taxpayers need is to take on a tax burden like that,” she said. “The second one is, I’m pleased that the state is working with us on this. We’re not in a fighting mode.”

Since the lake was shut down on May 2, Newburgh has been drawing water from the lower-capacity Brown’s Pond, its longtime backup source. The city will need to switch to Aqueduct water in about two weeks, City Manager Michael Ciaravino told the City Council.

Investigators with the state Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Health continue to analyze sediment and water samples as they hunt for the source of the contamination, which was first detected in December 2013.

Stewart Air National Guard Base is considered a likely source. Results released earlier this month from samples taken at a retention pond at the base showed significantly high levels of PFOS, and the state continues to trace the source of those readings.

In addition to helping pay for Aqueduct water, Kennedy said federal and state officials have also given support to helping Newburgh clean Washington Lake and improve its filtration system.

“Those are all things we have already got support for getting paid,” she said.

Washington Lake’s closure is also affecting Newburgh’s recreational season.

Signs have been made warning people about eating fish from Masterson Park, which is located off a Washington Lake outlet. And because of Brown’s Pond’s low levels, it will not open this season for recreational boating and fishing, Ciaravino said.

“Not only would it be unsafe but it’s just not going to be a pleasure for anyone to utilize those boats,” he said.

lsparks@th-record.com