Thank goodness for the NY Alert system for Brocton and Portland residents. Without that notification on Monday afternoon, no one would have known what was happening with the water system in the village and town.

On Monday, a leak was detected that led to the alert sometime around 4 p.m. Residents were being asked to conserve water due to an issue at the Portland water tank. Our newspaper covered the incident, thanks to the notification, through our website and social media page that evening.

Unfortunately, at the time the alert was sent, some residents already had low pressure — or no water at all. But at least the residents who received the NY Alert system alert had an idea why there was a problem.

Usually, you get what you pay for. But that isn’t true for NY Alert subscribers. The free alerts provided information quicker than the Chautauqua County public information officer and departments that your tax dollars are buying.

Their first acknowledgment of the situation was not until 10 a.m. Tuesday. That is almost 18 hours after the incident happened.

What took so long?

In 2023, the County Legislature approved the public information officer position and the individual was hired in June of that year. Yes, another employee was added to a growing public workforce whose job is to get information out to community members as soon as possible. For those left without water, the 18 hours with no notice of what was going on is more important than the 18 missing minutes from the Watergate tape.

That communication you’re being asked to pay for, however, failed miserably on Monday — and led to plenty of questions and worries from residents who were impacted by the incident. It makes one wonder if the county is being too reliant on the public information officer’s position to get information out.

Health Department officials, who were trusted during the pandemic and other water emergencies, have proven to do excellent work while reaching out to the media and public. We wonder if departments have been silenced by this new position — and information has been slowed due to internal policies.

What happened in Brocton and Portland on Monday night was a true emergency. NY Alert understood the urgency. Why not our Chautauqua County officials?

To sign up for NY Alert, go to https://alert.ny.gov/sign-up-ny-alert