A water service extension project in Ellicott has secured $1 million in federal funding.

U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-23, announced Wednesday that he has secured $1 million in federal funding for the Ellicott Water Service Extension Project, an infrastructure investment that will extend water service to the Fluvanna area by extending municipal water lines from the city of Jamestown.

The project will replace unsafe private wells with a regulated municipal water system, addressing long-standing public health concerns. Local assessments have shown that 40% of existing wells in the area are unsafe for human consumption, making access to clean drinking water an urgent and essential need.

“This is about protecting families and ensuring access to safe drinking water,” Langworthy said. “This investment provides a permanent solution to a long-time problem, guaranteeing that every resident will have access to reliable, safe, quality water. I’m proud to deliver this funding for the taxpayers of Ellicott and I will always fight to ensure Western New York and the Southern Tier get its fair share of federal resources.”

In addition to improving water quality, the project will significantly enhance fire protection, reduce long-term environmental and health risks, and open additional areas in the I-86 Strunk Road area to development.

It was announced by the state Environmental Facilities Corporation board in August that the Ellicott project had also received a $10 million grant and interest-free financing package for the extension of public water service to the Fluvanna area, which includes approximately 34,000 linear feet of water mains, valves, hydrants, and service meters.

The Ellicott extension project has prompted Ellery and Bemus Point officials to gauge public sentiment to extend the water line even further. A Public Water Interest Survey was available to Ellery and Bemus Point residents in October.The main locations Larry Anderson, Ellery town supervisor, mentioned running municipal water to were Bemus Point and Greenhurst. The expansion would likely not go further than the expressway off of I-86, according to Anderson. While these water lines would not serve the entirety of the town, Anderson mentioned the potentially positive impact to businesses in the two previously mentioned locations. Anderson noted that businesses would no longer need to rely on one or two wells for their water. Businesses could see an increase in water pressure and the ability to install adequate sprinkler systems as well, according to Anderson.

There are no plans to bring municipal water to Bemus Point or Greenhurst, according to Anderson and Jeff Molnar, Bemus Point mayor, with the survey simply an attempt to begin planning for the future and to see if there is enough interest to look into expanding the size of Ellicott’s new water line to potentially account for future needs. That would likely involve a fee to expand Ellicott’s water line size, but grant money could cover a majority of costs.