LACKAWANNA, N.Y. — U.S. Senator and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer came to Lackawanna Monday to announce another $129 Million in taxpayer money from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Act to be used for water system improvements with replacement of lead pipes which could be harmful to young children and their development.
It's a project which the 540,000 local customers of the Erie County Water Authority are already helping to pay for.
Senator Chuck Schumer and assembled politicians used the backdrop of a water pipe improvement project on Willlet Road in Lackawanna to talk about over $129 Million dollars in federal funding filtering down to Western New York communities to replace lead pipes under an EPA directive. As Schumer put it, "It's too expensive even for large municipalities like Erie County or smaller municipalities like Lackawanna to do it on their own."
Meanwhile down the road, Bob Connolly and his grandchildren were outside checking his front lawn. He said, "You always want healthy water - you got grandkids and kids I hope they do something.
Reporter: But the thing is, it's expensive.
Connolly: Oh I know.
Reporter: And you also on your water bill - paying that infrastructure investment charge - you've seen it correct?
Connolly: For years and years - yeah.
Reporter: Does it make you question where that money is going?
Connolly: I gave up questioning - you know because you can't do anything anyway."
But we'll ask about it. It is $25.74 on this reporter's quarterly $65 dollar water bill. And that's just for one of 540,000 customers.
We asked Leonard Kowalski who is the Executive Engineer of the Erie County Water Authority about that charge.
"Reporter: Can you tell us how much is actually been spent of that amount on actual infrastructure work so far since that infrastructure charge was put on these bills? (started in 2011).
Kowalksi replied: To the best of my knowledge that fund is utilized for capital improvement projects on a yearly basis. So the prioject going on right here on Willet Road - over on Abott Road - ten million dollar project. Any of those infrastructure charges are going to be used towards critical infrastructure upgrades.
Reporter: Could you tell us how much has been spent so far from this fund?
Kowalski: I don't have those numbers in front of me - we'd have to...
Reporter: Can anybody give them out - that's a lot of money?"
We were later on Monday evening sent an e-mail from a contracted PR specialist for the Erie County Water Authority who pointed out the audited information was actually on their website.
It states that from 2011 to 2023 the Infrastructure Investment Charge on customer bills has brought in $167,648.495. They further state that the ECWA Total Infrastructure Investment Spending is $353,907,568. So the amount raised from customer bills is about 47 percent of that total spending amount.
Of course through the decades it has also been well known that the water authority has oversight with three commissioners who are traditionally politically connected and appointed by the Erie County Legislature. The former and current Democratic Party chairs in Amherst are on the board now along with a former Deputy County Clerk.
So we asked Authority Chairman and attorney Jerome Schad this question. "Wouldn't it be nice to have an engineer to give some confidence to the people of Erie County - that it's just not political patronage - sir?"
Schad replied, "We have the best qualified staff I think in terms of providing our infrastructure and protecting our water supply in the Erie County Water Authority."
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