Pomfret switch boosts Dunkirk water revenues
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Dunkirk is thirsty for more revenue, and a significant switchover of Pomfret town water customers will moisten its parched lips.
Homes and businesses in Pomfret east and south of the Routes 20 and 60 roundabout were switched over to the North County Water District, and taken off Fredonia's water system, Friday. The city of Dunkirk water plant on Lake Shore Drive is the NCWD's sole supplier.
City Department of Public Works Director Randy Woodbury mentioned the change at a Monday meeting of the Common Council Finance Committee.
"That will be extra income for the city of Dunkirk," he said.
Officials originally intended to do the switchover Jan. 1, Woodbury said. However, Chautauqua County Health Department officials evidently pushed for an early switch amid the Fredonia water treatment plant's recent problems. The village had boil and conservation orders on water in recent weeks.
Woodbury said the county wanted to lessen the production load for the Fredonia plant. The actual process of the switchover took about 15 minutes, he said. "We're making plenty of water to do it," he added.
The area switched over is growing, and "it's quite a chunk of real estate now on Dunkirk water," Woodbury said.
Councilwoman Natalie Luczkowiak asked if the added revenue was in the city's proposed 2027 budget. Woodbury pointed out that was unlikely as no one knew the move would be made early until Friday.
The DPW director did have an estimate on how much money Dunkirk made off a late October sale of water to Fredonia. He said the city made about $5,000 from it. The 966,000 gallons "essentially filled their Webster Road storage tank for them," he said.
A pump station on Vineyard Drive was operated for 60 hours to send the water up to Fredonia, Woodbury continued. "They were very grateful we were able to get that going," he said.
He claimed that "we can supply them with a third of what they need until we get everything else built up." Fredonia is planning to connect with the North County Water District through Pomfret's pipes and decommission its own treatment plant and reservoir -- though the village had to suspend engineering for the project over a lack of funding.
Woodbury mentioned an issue with orthophosphates in Fredonia water, which keeps popping up. The village adds the chemical to its water to create an anti-corrosion pipe liner. Dunkirk does not use the chemical, and there have been concerns that mixing the water too much could harm both systems.
Woodbury said the city is working on creating an orthophosphate supply point that could treat water it wants to send to Fredonia. That would allow the Vineyard Drive pumps to run for more than 60 hours and permit a larger sale of water to the village, he said.