The U.S. Postal Service is following through on its proposal to move mail processing from Watertown to Syracuse.
The transition will likely be complete by the end of October.
Regular customers at the Watertown Post Office won't notice a difference, said Maureen Marion, Postal Service spokeswoman.
Retail services, such as stamp sales, post office box service and business mail acceptance will all continue.
What will be moved to Syracuse is behind-the-scenes mail processing of all mail with a zip code starting with 136.
That mail will now go directly to Syracuse for processing.
Marion said Postal Service studies show that mail will get to your home just as fast.
"Gouverneur to Sandy Creek - if that's one day now, it'll be one day when it's done," Marion said.
That's despite the fact that the mail will have to go to Syracuse and back to the North Country in most instances.
Marion said the added millage is compensated by the additional volume that will make the operation more efficient.
"A little more time on the road will actually be helpful. Trucks will be full, versus half-full," she said.
She said "probably 50 positions" in mail processing at Watertown will be affected. Roughly a dozen will be moved to Syracuse while others will be dealt with according to union contracts.
