Sweden passes water resolution

Town of Sweden officials passed a resolution April 9 to move forward with entering into a lease agreement with Monroe County Water Authority (MCWA).

Supervisor Nat O. Lester III said the agreement will likely be finalized June 1. "We have to do a final reading on our equipment before we prepare for the change over," he said.

The reason for signing the care and maintenance of the town’s water over to the MCWA is because the authority has a full time, year-round staff to take care of any water breaks or problems that crop up. "We only had a two person department to take care of the entire system," he said. "We’ll have better service with them."

Lester said the switch will ultimately save taxpayer dollars. "We have old pipes that might need repair and, when it is done through the water authority, the cost is spread over a larger number of taxpayers," he said.

Sweden is one of only two towns within Monroe County that hadn’t come on board with the water authority. "The towns that have signed have been pleased," Lester said.

One of the main concerns cited during a public hearing on the town’s proposal to sign a lease with the water authority was the impact it might have on the formation of water districts for those homeowners who are without town water. "Signing with the water authority won’t affect any district formations," he said. "We will still go about it the way we always have."

If the agreement is approved and signed, it will be for a 40 year period, which is the usual length of the leases signed with the Water Authority.