It appears the city of Dunkirk is willing to lend a hand and assist Fredonia in its most recent crisis that could last until next week.

The boil water order and state of emergency, which went into effect Saturday, continues in the village of Fredonia. In the meantime, Director of Public Works Randy Woodbury and Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas have been out in the community figuring out an alternative plan should the village call them for help.

“The problem is that the pump station on Vineyard Drive for Fredonia won’t be ready until the end of September,” Woodbury said. “The village has been reconstructing that and electrical still needs to be done.”

The pump station would allow Fredonia to receive water from the city in the future if something like this should happen again. “We have an alternative game plan though if the village needs water now,” Woodbury said.

Currently the city is looking at a plan to bring in a portable pump from Buffalo and place it between a Dunkirk and Fredonia hydrant. All they have to do is clear it with the county Health Department first.

“Our water is at 0.04 (in terms of turbidity),” Woodbury said. “We have eight filtration beds — the village has four (and) we’re ready to go should they call for assistance.”

“We plan to help all we can if the village calls,” Rosas said. “We’re neighbors and in this together.”

At the State University of New York at Fredonia, the village’s largest consumer, officials are providing bottled water to the students.

“It’s definitely an inconvenience,” said Jeff Woodard, university spokesman. “We’re letting off-campus students know about the distribution off campus as well.”

The campus is also working with a distributor for water shipments and the Faculty Student Association is boiling water as needed for cooking. “Everyone’s being patient and that’s all we can ask for,” Woodard said.

More bottles of water will be distributed to Fredonia users on Tuesday and Thursday. The water will be available at the Department of Public Works at 176 Eagle St. from 8 to 11 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m Tuesday and Thursday.