Water Delivery System Merger (2004 LGAA)

Village of Lancaster (Winner)
County: Erie County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
Village Hall: (716) 683-2105

The Village of Lancaster upgraded its municipal water system and turned it over to the Erie County Water Authority (ECWA), resulting in improved water service to the public at a lower cost. The village replaced old, damaged four-inch water lines with new six and eight inch lines, thereby improving water service to residents. The increased pipe size was also required to meet water system requirements for administration by the ECWA. The ECWA then replaced the Village Water Department by incorporating the village's water system into the larger County water system, providing water ser¡vice at a lower rate than the village's water service.

The village owned, operated, and maintained its entire water system and purchased approximately 1.5 million gallons of water daily from the ECWA and sold about 1 million gallons per day to customers. The village replaced 19,750 linear feet of aging and deteriorated water line that required on-going maintenance and repair. The four-inch lines were leaking, resulting in reduced water pressure. The renovated system resulted in improved water pressure for homeowners and businesses, improved emergency water systems for fire fighting and indoor sprinkler systems, reduced the cost of water for resi¡dents, and saved municipal tax dollars required to operate the Water Department.

The village was able to secure several grants to pay for a large portion of the one-time repairs and upgrades necessary. Though village residents were forced to pay for a portion of the repairs and upgrades, the system has now been turned over to the Erie County Water Authority (ECWA) who will assume all future operating and mainte¡nance costs for the system. Since the ECWA is the major regional supplier for water, their economies of scale haveáreduced the cost of water delivery to the village. Further, as the new system ages and requires repairs, the cost of future repairs will be assumed by the ECWA.