FREDONIA, N.Y. — The Village of Fredonia continues to deal with issues pertaining to the old, outdated infrastructure within their water system.
Mayor Douglas Essek declared a State of Emergency for the village's water system on Wednesday. The move comes after a recent meeting with Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel and other members of the county's health department.
In a statement to 2 On Your Side, Mayor Essek said, "In May of this year the Village water system was inspected by the Chautauqua County Health Department and the New York State Health Department. We were cited with violations that we are currently addressing."
He continued on to say that "I am also working on real solutions to the decade old issues we are facing for our citizens now and for future generations. It's time to be part of the solution and not be part of the problem. I issued a State of Emergency for our water issues to finally start the process of fixing them without delays."
A timeframe of when the upgrades will be completed was not provided, but the mayor urges residents that the water is still safe to drink and use.
2 On Your Side reached out to the Chautauqua County Department of Health for comment on the matter, but are still waiting to hear back at this time.
**