The following profile was prepared by The FUND for Lake George prior to its 2021 merger with the LGA.
July 2020
When the flow of wastewater is permanently diverted from the Village of Lake George’s antiquated 1930s-era wastewater treatment plant to a new, state-of-the-art plant in the fall of 2021, it will mark a new era in Lake protection for the Village — and the signature accomplishment in the career of Chief Treatment Plant Operator Tim Shudt, who has overseen the new facility from conception through construction.
“I told my wife, ‘If I hit the lottery today, I wouldn’t retire. I want to see this project through. I want to make sure it’s done right. It’s Lake George. It deserves the best technology and design.”
“This is my legacy,” the 56-year-old Village resident says of the new plant, which will clean the hundreds of millions of gallons of wastewater generated by Village residents and visitors each year before it is discharged to the Lake far more effectively and efficiently than the current plant.
“I told my wife, ‘If I hit the lottery today, I wouldn’t retire. I want to see this project through. I want to make sure it’s done right. It’s Lake George. It deserves the best technology and design.”
A Capital District native, Tim grew up with summer visits to Million Dollar Beach and Hearthstone campground. He began his wastewater career as a municipal treatment plant operator in 1991 and then served seven years as assistant director of the New York Rural Water Association, a federally funded program that provides training and technical assistance on water issues to rural communities. When he learned the chief operator position was open in Lake George in 2011, he says, “I thought, what a perfect fit — doing what I love to do and living in Lake George.”
Since his arrival, Tim has focused his attention on addressing the aging plant’s inability to meet New York State discharge limits for nitrates — a major contributor to the formation of harmful algal blooms like those that have wreaked havoc on the environment and economy of lakes across the country. A definitive 2015 study by the Lake George Waterkeeper, a program of The FUND for Lake George, identified the treatment plant as the predominant source of nitrates to the Lake. When it became clear a new plant was necessary, Tim worked closely with The FUND, Waterkeeper and other experts to identify the best nitrate-removal technology. Now he’s proudly overseeing the design and construction of the $24 million facility that will soon prove invaluable in protecting water quality.
Tim’s pride for the new plant is palpable — and matched only by his pride in his staff, including his son Tim Jr., who is following in his footsteps by becoming a licensed operator. “We’re all in this together to do what we can to protect the most beautiful lake in the world,” he says.
He says he hopes his fellow Village residents understand why the new plant is so important. If there’s any question, he offers some simple advice:
“I make sure I drive down Beach Road every day to look at the Lake and reinforce my commitment to what I’m doing. It could be a blizzard and I can’t see a foot out onto the Lake. I still drive by.”