While its proposed, upcoming connection with Fredonia draws the most attention, the town of Pomfret is moving ahead with a series of its own water projects.

A water main replacement project is nearly complete in the Van Buren Bay Water District. The project features water meters that are checked with cell phone technology, giving Pomfret the ability to do readings from its town hall. The same remotely-read meters are also getting installed in the town’s recently completed Lily Dale Water District.

Also, the Pomfret Town Board has awarded construction bids for the North End Water District. That will deliver water to currently unconnected residents on the western side of Pomfret, including on Berry and Farel roads, as well as residents in the area of Route 60 and Shumla Road.

Legend Excavating, LLC, is the low bidder for two North End district construction contracts. The cost of the contracts is $4,013,325 and $1,585,810. CPL, the village’s engineer of record, recommended awarding the contracts.

CPL representatives spoke at the town board’s June meeting. CPL’s Eric Wies claimed the North End project is $918,000 under budget so far.

“There is a little concern on our end — this is probably going to be the biggest project (Legend Excavating) has ever had,” Wies said. He quickly added, “There’s nothing to say they’re not qualified.”

Nevertheless, Wies wants “additional babysitting funds for us” so CPL can do more work inspections.

Town officials at the meeting seemed to have trouble navigating the shark’s tank of regulations and requirements that are needed to get the projects moving. Town Attorney Jeffrey Passafaro, with his decades of municipal law experience, proved useful for that.

Pomfret Town Supervisor Dan Pacos said six contractors bid on the North End project. “I was excited, and honestly, it’s nice to have some company to keep everyone’s pencils sharp,” he said.

Pomfret is also searching for a site for a proposed water tank to help supply North End district customers. Pacos and the town continue to offer Fredonia an opportunity to share the tank, but the village has not made a decision on that yet. The tank would be tripled in size, from 500,000 to 1.5 million gallons, if Fredonia joins up.

Finally, the town was recently awarded USDA Rural Development funding to complete water line replacement projects in the Berry Road and Chestnut Road water districts. Loans for $1,806,000, along with grants totaling $1,806,000, were awarded. The town anticipates bidding out these projects later this summer.

According to a press release from Pacos, “Once work on all of these projects is completed, all of Pomfret’s water mains outside of the village of Fredonia will have been replaced or newly installed. The town’s oldest water mains will be the waterlines that were installed under its North End Water District Phase 1 project, with those pipes being about 15 years old. All new waterlines will also have cellular-read meters installed, saving the town water districts additional money over time.”

Pacos added, “The work will also complete the town of Pomfret’s shift for its water supply to the North Chautauqua County Water District. The town decided on the move several years ago when planning the water district projects due to lack of availability for additional water from the village of Fredonia’s water system.”

Pacos chairs that district, and there has been criticism that his dual role as town supervisor and county water district chief is a conflict of interest. Pacos noted in his release that he is mandated to be on the water district board as a supervisor of a member town, and added that he is not paid for his chairman’s job.

He also sought to include that the county water district had a year-to-date net income of $208,889 as of May. The district has often run in the red since its inception.