PORTLAND — The village of Brocton and the town of Portland held a joint meeting last month to discuss on one specific topic: the Chadwick Bay Intermunicipal Water Works and $1.4 million that is apparently owed by the agency to the North County Water District.

Portland town Supervisor Rich Lewis said he, Brocton Mayor Art Miller — who was not present at the meeting — and the rest of the Chadwick Bay Intermunicipal Water Works board met recently, and Lewis said this is the first ever financial report he’s seen on the district.

“It’s very murky, murky water,” said Lewis.

The agency was created as a billing, collection, and maintenance group that serves the Northern Chautauqua Water District and is managed by the five elected supervisors or mayors — including Lewis and Miller — who are part of the water district. The main office is located in Brocton.

Lewis said Dunkirk is the sole supplier of water under the contract, and the rate adds up to $4.93, which is the price the water is sold to the agency. Chadwick Bay then bills users in Dunkirk, Pomfret, Portland, Sheridan, and Brocton $65 quarterly for the first 5,000 gallons, and $7.50 for each 1,000 gallons after that. Lewis said a special meeting is being called with the county executive and some legislators because the county finance department regarding the $1.4 million. A date for that meeting is not yet set.

“Now they’re concerned,” said Lewis. “They didn’t want to touch (Chadwick Bay), they wanted no part of it. I was trying to drive home to them that they do have a vested interest. Now they’re deciding, after the finance department looked at it, that now they’re concerned.”

Lewis said he called the joint meeting to discuss how to collectively move forward, which includes options of breaking off from Chadwick Bay Water Works.

“Splitting off from them would be an option,” Lewis said. “That would be creating our own billing again… There would have to be a master meter put down on Route 5, which I’ve gotten a cost estimate of between $75,000 and $100,000 to install. That has to be done because otherwise we can’t justify what water we’re using.”

Brocton resident Dave Hazelton, who also sits on the water board, said he’s been critical of Chadwick Bay Intermunicipal Water Works from day one, but is happy the county finally has its eyes on it. While Hazelton himself said he was unable to file an audit, the county does have that power.

“The way I look at it now, the best thing is that the county is finally opening its eyes,” said Hazelton. “The county’s finance committee can ask for an audit, and I think that may be the best thing.”

Hazelton said he does not think breaking off of from the agency is the right way to go, to which Lewis said he was not advocating anything one way or another, and merely wanted the discussion to take place. Hazelton advised keeping eyes to the future.

“I think what you should do is keep your eyes wide open on this thing,” said Hazelton. “Look out six months or a year, because you may see an entirely different thing once the county starts really hammering on something.”

One way or another, no major decisions were made, as Lewis just wanted everyone to be on the same page to know what to expect moving forward.