WATER WOES COULD FORCE RESIDENTS TO FLEE COHOES.(MAIN)

Byline: RITA M. JOHNSON Cohoes

Twenty-one years ago, my husband and I purchased a home in Cohoes. The water used for drinking and bathing was so bad, we had to go the expense of a water softener, and a reverse osmosis system for the drinking and cooking water. Both systems require periodic maintenance which is, in itself, costly.

Each year, both sewer and water charges for each six-month period have escalated. With our Jan. 1, 1997, to June 30, 1997, bill, we now have an added surcharge of $35.50, which supposedly is to help reduce the $1.5 million deficit in the city's budget. There are many families larger than ours, which use more water and therefore had …