OBSERVER Photo

Addressing widespread recent reports of discoloration and odor in Fredonia’s water, the village mayor and the chief of its water system asserted Monday it is safe to use.

Mayor Douglas Essek opened a Board of Trustees workshop by acknowledging the water issues. “I’ve had several calls and complaints about the smell and taste and color of our water,” he said, encouraging communication from community members about occurrences like that. “Let us know when there are issues so we can address them … I would like to say social media is not an appropriate channel for communication because we don’t monitor Facebook or any other social media sites.”

He said the public should call 911 if they feel they are having a dangerous situation with the water, and listed village office phone numbers for non-emergency issues. Essek then asked Chris Surma, who heads up Fredonia’s water system, to address the board and the public on the issues.

Complete story in Wednesday’s edition.