OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon Pictured are members of the Mayville Village Board.

MAYVILLE – A major water project in the village is moving forward.

During the recent Mayville Village Board meeting, the board awarded a $5,170,715 bid to S. St. George Enterprises, Inc. of Fredonia for its Water Main Replacement of the Water System Improvement Project.

Village Treasurer Jen Obert said the village will get its main line replaced along with a number of side streets. Work is expected to begin this spring and be completed this year.

The village has been working on a number of water projects, including installing a new filtration system on a second well. The village already has a Granular Activated Carbon water filtration system on one of its wells. It was installed after traces of perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) were discovered in the water system back in 2020.

The village has another well that is not infected with PFNA, but neither well can support the village water system independently if one or the other were to go down, which is why they need a third well.

After being unsuccessful at drilling for a new well, the village decided to go with a second Granular Activated Carbon water filtration system.

Mayor Rick Syper is concerned about the cost. He said at the meeting that the new water filtration system and building may cost $2 million to install.

“The one that we built two years ago, that’s bigger, with more (filter) trains was only a million dollars,” he said.

The village has received grant funds and Syper said he is hopeful the grant will cover the costs necessary for the new filtration building.

That project has not gone out to bid.

The village has scheduled a public hearing for March 25 at 7 p.m. for five increases to village water rates over the next five years.

The increases will include both the minimum of water usage as well as increases to additional water used.

The public hearing will take place at the Carlson Community Center in Lakeside Park.

The board is expected to vote on water rate hikes at its April meeting. If approved, the new rates would go into effect June 1.

While the village is eyeing multiple hikes to its water rates, the village property tax rate will have a slight decrease.

During the meeting, the board approved its 2025-26 budget. The full budget is $2,130,542 with a levy, the amount raised through taxes, at $830,000.

The budget has a property tax rate of $6.65 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, which is 5 cents lower than the current tax rate.