Pictured is the Fredonia water treatment plant.

Water was one of the deciding factors eight years ago when Carriage House and ConAgra pulled its operations out of Fredonia. Many do not like to admit it, because that means we have to pin blame on those locally elected, but it was part of that company’s final decision.

Carriage House wanted Fredonia as part of the North County Water District. The village, as was typical then, said, “Too bad.” The result a loss of a major industry and some 400 jobs.

Last week, village Trustee James Lynden looked at penalizing current businesses again by proposing separate water and sewer rates for commercial and residential users. Under the rules, Lynden said, a resident that uses 5,000 gallons of water in a quarter will pay the $25 base fee and $4.80 for each 1,000 gallons, for a total bill of $49. That represents a final cost of $9.80 per 1,000 gallons used. A larger user, with 27,000 gallons, would get a bill for $154.60, or $5.73 per 1,000 gallons used with the base fee added in.

“I don’t think that’s quite equitable,” Lynden said. He said calculating the rate purely through usage, rather than charging a base fee, would save money for most of Fredonia’s water customers. In the end, he wants to increase the burden to the commercial user.

This proposal is one more example of not being able to see the forest from the trees. Once Carriage House left, both water and sewer revenues plummeted in the village. And no matter how much he aims to criticize slightly higher fees by the North County Water District, the most important piece to users is reliable water. It’s obvious through four water emergencies over 10 years in the village that water too often can become a precious commodity.

Fredonia would be best to leave the situation alone. Commercial users are the largest, especially when it comes to the revenues. They don’t need reasons to go elsewhere, especially when history shows a very disturbing pattern: businesses will leave. If anything, they are the ones who deserve the break.