Ë®¹ûÅÉAV

Armed with more information — and the support of U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney — Throop Supervisor Eric Ridley is restarting the project.

The plan includes establishing a new water district, the third in the town, and extending water service to 35 to 40 residents. There is also undeveloped land on Centerport Road that would now have access to public water, making the properties more appealing for prospective homeowners.

In an interview with Ë®¹ûÅÉAV, Ridley provided a history of the project and its potential benefits for the town.

Residents approached Ridley shortly after he was elected town supervisor about the water project. He reviewed what occurred in 2009, when the town considered a plan to extend water service. What he found was the town board's internal discussions and external communications "did not comport with one another."

The town's leadership at the time sent a postcard to town residents. Ridley showed a copy of the postcard to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. It asked residents if they wanted water service. Most answered no.

The informal survey was enough to kill the project. But Ridley believes the opposition was due to a lack of information.

"I would say a majority of the residents I spoke with were unaware of the cost," he said. "How do you gauge interest in something without providing particulars?"

If Ridley needed it, he received additional motivation from town resident Rob Piascik. Piascik provided a used well water filter and a bottle filled with the water. Both showed how dirty the water is for residents along Centerport, Reyer and Sine roads.

Ridley began pursuing funding for the project after the COVID-19 pandemic. Municipalities received federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act, and he sought $400,000 of the county's $14.8 million allotment for the project.

However, the county did not fund the project. The town decided to seek other funding sources.

One is the state Water Infrastructure Improvement program, known as WIIA. The town will learn later this year whether its application is approved.

Throop also submitted a request through Tenney's office. Every year, members of Congress can secure federal funding for community projects in their districts. The town is in the 24th Congressional District, which Tenney represents.

Tenney announced that she has submitted 15 projects to be considered by congressional appropriators. Among them is the Throop water project.

If Congress agrees to fund the project, the town would receive $1 million — roughly half the project's cost.

"I remain committed to advocating for these projects throughout the appropriations process and will continue to be a strong voice for protecting your hard-earned tax dollars while representing our district in Congress," Tenney said.

Ridley told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV he is grateful for Tenney's support. In a statement he provided to the congresswoman's office, he noted that the project would not only provide safe drinking water to residents, but it would also offer fire protection for these homes. It would improve infrastructure resiliency, he said, because it would complete a loop to an existing water line. The project would ensure "essential system redundancy," he continued, that would benefit those served by the water system.

"Rural communities are the backbone of this region, and Congresswoman Tenney's support for them is invaluable," Ridley said. "Her support for this project is a powerful example of how by working together, elected officials can strengthen our infrastructure, safeguard our future and impact the lives of our residents."

The costs to town residents would be minimal if the federal and state funding is awarded. Ridley estimates it could cost users $300 a year, or less than $30 a month. The town would form the district and either administer it or transfer it to the Cayuga County Water and Sewer Authority.

Ridley is hopeful the project will advance so residents can benefit from the natural resources surrounding the Auburn area.

"I've spent a lot of the last five years righting wrongs, and this is another one," he said. "These people got the short end of the stick because the process didn't play out as it should have."