Water can often be a dry topic when it comes to public engagement. We will have to see about that tonight when an informational meeting takes place at 6:30 in the Fredonia Opera House.

According to a press release from Chautauqua County, “The presenters plan to provide attendees with a better understanding of the existing Fredonia water system and the areas within the system that require immediate and ongoing attention.”

SUNY Fredonia professors Courtney Wigdahl-Perry and Matthew Lanning will join Jessica Wuerstle and Natalie Whiteman of the county Health Department on the panel.

Lanning and Wighdahl-Perry are familiar with the structure and history of the Fredonia reservoir, and are currently involved in research projects about it. Wuerstle and Whiteman have worked closely with village officials for months as Fredonia’s water system addresses deficiencies and violations found by state inspectors.

We’re not sure how well this will be received. There’s a segment of the population in the village — many who formerly worked for the municipality or represented it — who have made the most noise about potential changes to the system.

Those opinions are important in moving forward. But facts also matter.

This village system is unreliable and has been for far too long. There’s no disputing that.