Rep. Tom Reed announced a $117,000 grant and a $116,000 loan for the Town of Dunkirk on Thursday.

The funds will be used to improve the water distribution system in the Bennett Road water district. This project will improve water service to 44 residential users and 13 non-residential users in the town by replacing about 10,000 linear feet of water lines as well as hydrants and valves. The grant was announced by the USDA.

“Making sure our constituents have proper access to water is an issue we care about,” said Reed. “This grant will address water access issues in the town of Dunkirk. Upgrading this water system is important, and we were glad to support this initiative.”

“This is an older line that runs in the middle of the road — this is the second phase of the project,” said Richard Purol, Dunkirk town supervisor. “We will put in a brand new, eight inch line that will connect to Vineyard Drive. We are very pleased we received the funds for this project.”

According to the Chautauqua County Department of Health, the existing system has low water pressure, which is a health concern. With the completion of this project, those issues will be addressed.