OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon Pictured are members of the Chautauqua Town Board.

A proposed water project in Dewittville is moving ahead.

During a recent meeting of the Chautauqua Town Board, Supervisor Don Emhardt announced that the Chautauqua Water District II has received a $4,020,000 grant.

The district currently serves Chautauqua Lake Estates, the Villas and the golf course at Point Chautauqua and gets its water from Chautauqua Lake. However, the treatment plant needs to be updated, which would cost $5 million. The update is required by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Instead of updating the treatment plant, a proposal was made to use groundwater in the hamlet of Dewittville and run an 8-inch line on Springbrook Road, to Route 430, and eventually to the water tower, where there would be a small chlorination building. This district would also be expanded to the east end of Dewittville and include the KOA campground.

The project is estimated to cost $6.7 million.

Emhardt said last spring that it would not move forward without some grant funding. Residents will be paying for the remaining $2.7 million needed.

Officials said the groundwater project was preferred because it could reach more people and it helps avoid blue-green algae blooms, which are toxic, but not found in well water.

The money for the Dewittville project was part of $300 million in state grants for local water infrastructure improvements announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

“Grants are crucial to helping communities undertake environmental infrastructure projects that are vital to the health and well-being of New Yorkers, the resiliency of shoreline communities, and economic development that supports industry, businesses and homeowners,” Hochul said in a statement. “We are proud to support municipalities with a historic level of funding for water infrastructure improvements, and we’ll continue our efforts to modernize our infrastructure and provide safe, reliable water systems for generations to come.”

When the project was announced last spring, a number of residents came to the town board meeting, expressing their concerns that the project would either hurt their wells by lowering the water table, or said they like their well water more than water coming from a treatment plant.

Residents were told they could keep their wells if they preferred, but they would still be charged for the pipes because its an improvement to their properties. They were also told having public water should lower their insurance because the public water improves fire protection.

Even though the funding has been approved, the project is still expected to take multiple years before it is completed.