Fredonia Trustee Paul Wandel offered more updates about village water talks with the North County Water District Monday, ahead of a much-anticipated “water information session” Thursday about plans to connect with the district.

Wandel said at a Fredonia Board of Trustees meeting last week that he met with Mayor Michael Ferguson and NCWD representatives on June 25. He listed points that came up: “1. Discussion and preliminary review of the proposed NCWD contract with the village. There would be a cyclical five year review of the contract. 2. The village would need one seat on the board out of 11 board members . 3. Discussion of potential proposed rate fees of dollar cost per 1,000 gallons of purchased water. 4. It was noted that the Dunkirk lakeshore water treatment plant has invested $25 million in recent years — and this information is not official. 5. Contract being reviewed by the NCWD for additional language and to improve understanding of the cost versus usage formula. So this contract is under review, it’s being developed currently.”

Wandel soon added that on June 30 he met with LaBella engineering and Ferguson. “All discussion focused on the new water project,” he said.

Ferguson soon added: “In no way does this change the decision that this is going forward. This was passed — it was passed close to a year ago now, and we are well on our way. It is what is best for the village of Fredonia, and we are giving you an opportunity to look at the costs that are associated. Far less than the anticipated costs for what it would take to redo our reservoir.”

Ferguson’s final statement is challenged by “Save our Reservoir,” the activists who decry the village’s plans to get NCWD water. They cite a study by former village administrator James Sedota — and some of LaBella’s own numbers — in stating that the NCWD route will actually be more expensive in the long run.

Wandel continued that LaBella has done such things as a topographical survey, environmental and geophysical work, and water quality and blending testing. “Engineering design work is now in process. Interconnection building sites and locations are now under planning and review. The idea and plan there is to build about five vaults in the area of the village for interconnection purposes. These would (contain) pumps, or dosing facilities to maybe boost the chlorine levels.”

Wandel concluded, “The water source project is advancing very well. Momentum is established and project milestones are being achieved.”

Trustee LeeAnn Lazarony offered a question about maintenance of the vaults. Wandel replied, “There will be responsibilities to definitely check on them, make sure the pumps are running properly. There are some critical things happening in these vaults.” He said it was his understanding that employees would still be needed for that part of the operation — but “it’ll be greatly minimized to where we are at now.”

Meanwhile, Fredonia must still use its reservoir unless and until it connects with the NCWD, and still needs to spend money on maintaining it. The trustees approved $34,850 to pay for a new water intake structure.

Ferguson commented: “I think It’s very important that people understand that this is the intake structure… in the middle of the reservoir that was damaged a number of years ago. Inoperational, it was bent because of the amount of ice that had formed on the reservoir. It’s not something that we can just say, ‘No, we can’t do it,’ and it is not something that we did not know, over the course of Trustee Wandel’s reporting the last two years, that this expense was coming.”