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Funding Sewer Projects Just As Important As Other Tourism Initiatives

State Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, R-Jamestown, and state Senator Catharine Young, R-Olean, are touting the state’s $2.5 billion Clean Water Infrastructure Act as a means for Chautauqua Lake to finally receive some state investment in a project to build sewers around Chautauqua Lake.

We hope they are right. If they aren’t, we hope they will lead the charge to create an infrastructure program for New York state that makes sense.

County officials have tried for grants through the state Department Of Environmental Conservation’s Water Quality Improvement Program the last two years only to see the Chautauqua Lake project turned away. That led county officials to break the $43 million Chautauqua Lake sewer construction project into phases. The first phase includes 20,600 feet of gravity sewers, 25,600 feet of pressure sewers, three major pumping stations, and 160 grinder pumping stations for an estimated cost of $17 million. Without grant funding, it will cost $1,400 per user to build the extension. That cost is far too expensive for the project to proceed on its own even with no-interest loans available.

It’s bad enough that Chautauqua Lake has to beg for funding for a project that is vital to the lake’s survival from both environmental and tourism standpoints. We shouldn’t forget that the town of Mina is fighting a similar battle to build sewers around Findley Lake, whose voters have forced a vote on a $14 million project to build sewers around Findley Lake. They might not be opposed if state and federal funding was more readily available.

It is impossible to note the lax attitude from the state when it comes to sewer infrastructure when compared to the attitude toward other projects like the National Comedy Center. The comedy center received $5 million in this year’s state budget alone in addition to millions of dollars in past Regional Economic Development Council founding. A similar shot of funding would go a long way toward building necessary sewers in Findley and Chautauqua lakes — and the sewer projects are just as important to Chautauqua County’s future in tourism, too.

Chautauqua County officials have done all they can to advance Chautauqua Lake’s sewer project to this point. Now, it’s time for the state to take notice of the project’s importance. Young and Goodell will do their part. Chautauqua County needs the governor to do the same.

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