By Gail Peckler-Dziki
Correspondent
The Paddock Lake Village Board held a special meeting June 13 to discuss repairs to its east side water system and the possible connection to the west side system.
The improvements are needed to correct an antiquated non-compliant water system, provide a back-up water source and appropriate capacity.
These repairs and improvements have been put off for more than 25 years, and Village Administrator Tim Popanda explained the village could no longer wait to make these repairs and improvements.
The project would include only those who are currently connected to the existing water system. Residents with private wells would not be affected.
New customers would be the school and businesses at highways 50 and 83. The businesses along Highway 50 will be required to connect to the water system when the Department of Transportation reconstructs Highway 50 sometime in 2022 or 2024.
Current system problems would be corrected and water would be provided to the business district and to the future growth district to the west of the village.
The board also discussed financing options for water system repairs and expansion.
The board authorized Popanda to apply for a United States Department of Agriculture loan for rural development at a rate lower than prime and for a period of time longer than the traditional 20 years repayment for municipal loans.
He is authorized to make application by July 1 to be able to lock in the USDA loan rate of 2.8 percent. Prime is currently at between 3.2 to 3.8 percent.
“A longer repayment of the loan,” Popanda added, “would allow, as our population grows, more residents to participate in the repayment.”
Preliminary cost estimates are $1.5 million for the improvements to the existing 1956 east side water pumping station, $800,000 for west side well improvements and $1.8 million for the Highway 50 trunk line to connect east to west.
The design and state review and approval could occur late 2016 early 2017 with construction bidding happening in early to mid-2017 and construction to follow with completion in 2018. No interruption in water service is anticipated during the project.