By Ogden Supervisor Gay Lenhard’s count, it’s been more than 20 years since Vroom Road residents first started trying to obtain public water. By late next spring, 57 homes should have public water for the first time.

Some residents of the rural road have struggled with water that is contaminated, unfit to drink. Other residents have had little or no water. They’ve resorted to having water trucked in, doing their laundry at the laundromat, and in some cases, collecting rainwater to flush toilets.

Ogden has tried to bring water to Vroom residents in the past, but the cost proved too prohibitive to be financially feasible. New York state sets strict thresholds of affordability for customers of a water district.

On the one hand, Vroom Road residents were too "wealthy" to receive low-income aid for a water project. On the other hand, the estimated cost was more than New York state would allow them to bear.

Late last year, Senator George Maziarz came up with a $250,000 Strategic Investment Program grant that will pay for about half of the water project. The state has determined that residents are able to bear the remaining $250,000 cost.

"Homeowners will pay, on the average, $370 a year to bond the project," Lenhard said. "Some will pay a little more, some a little less, depending on their assessment." The project will be bonded for 30 years. In addition, homeowners will have to pay the tap-in fee and water use charges.

Lenhard predicts the $370 yearly payment will actually drop over time. The presence of public water is likely to attract new building, she said. Each house added to the district will reduce the cost for everyone. There are currently 21 land only parcels in the new water district.

A public hearing was held in mid-October to establish the water district. The hearing was one of the final steps in bringing water to Vroom Road residents. Highway Superintendent Dave Widger said his department will begin work on the project this winter, but progress will depend on weather. He expects to complete the water line by late spring.

"It’s a rare thing to get this type of funding," Lenhard said. "The Vroom Road residents have been very active and done their homework. We’re thrilled they’re finally going to get water."