FREDONIA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Village of Fredonia residents have dealt with yet another boil water order, marking the 8th in the last three years.
"I always tell our constituents, have you ever seen any community on the news that has had this many boil water orders?" said Michael Ferguson.
Earlier this month, the village board approved a bond of $17.5 million that would help cover the cost of a new water system. The village would decommission its reservoir and hook up to the North County Water District. Ferguson said it's the best option for the village.
However, not all residents support the decision. A group calling itself "Save Our Reservoir" opposes buying water from elsewhere and is now trying to collect enough signatures to force a voter referendum on the issue.
WATCH: 'Fix the infrastructure': Fredonia moving toward new water source after 8th boil water order
Athansia Landis, former Fredonia mayor, believes hooking up to the North County Water District will be expensive and leave the village without control over its water.
"The first thing they have to do is fix the infrastructure, not buy water from somebody else," she said.
James Lynden, former village trustee, said leaders haven't demonstrated that the switch makes financial sense for residents.
"They've constantly been pushed by the county and the city of Dunkirk and outside sources to join the North County Water District," she said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
