BEMUS POINT – Ellery is attempting to gauge residents opinions on the expansions of water lines into the town to allow Jamestown water to be run to Bemus Point and Greenhurst in the future.

Residents have received a Public Water Interest Survey through the mail and are asked to either drop a completed survey off at the Ellery Town Hall or Bemus Point Village Hall or return it in the mail. Responses are due Monday, Oct. 13.

The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities has recently partnered with the town of Ellicott to provide water through an expansion project that extends water lines to the edge of Ellery near Town Line Road.

Due to the close proximity of the expansion to the Ellery town line, the BPU contacted the town to inquire about future interest in expanding water services into the town. While nothing has been proposed yet, Larry Anderson, Ellery supervisor, and Jeff Molnar, Bemus Point mayor, said the survey results will help guide the town’s decision. Because the extension will be serving Fluvanna, and if Ellery wants to use BPU water a larger line must be installed by the town of Ellicott.

Anderson noted that this would be the first instance of water being run into Ellery and stated that all residents currently rely on private wells. Anderson noted that Dewittville will soon have water lines running from Chautauqua and Mayville once an ongoing project is completed. Despite this Anderson noted that it would be most cost efficient for most areas within the town to bring water from Jamestown if the decision is made to convert.

Anderson stated that, if this expansion goes forward, the town would need to create a water district. The main locations Anderson mentioned the town is coinciding flowing water to were Bemus Point and Greenhurst. The expansion would likely not go further than the expressway off of I-86, according to Anderson. While these water lines would not serve the entirety of the town, Anderson mentioned the potentially positive impact to businesses in the two previously mentioned locations. Anderson noted that businesses would no longer need to rely on one or two wells for their water. Businesses could see an increase in water pressure and the ability to install adequate sprinkler systems as well, according to Anderson.

At this time, there are no plans to bring municipal water to Bemus Point or Greenhurst, according to Anderson and Molnar. The survey is simply to plan for the future and determine if there is enough interest to look into expanding the size of Ellicott’s new water line to potentially account for future needs, Anderson said. Anderson noted that this would likely involve a fee to expand Ellicott’s water line size, but that grant money could able to cover a majority of costs.

“Everyone realizes the cost of a new well, especially one near the lake,” Anderson and Molnar said in a letter to town and village residents. “Municipal (treated) water would reduce reliance on a well system, maintenance costs, electricity to run pumps and equipment, wear and tear on plumbing, appliances, and water softeners, and most importantly it would provide a reliable water source for fire protection and lower our property insurance costs due to a higher ISO rating.”

For more information contact 716-386-3465.