Funding part of FY 2005 Omnibus Appropriations Bill

Will help County Preserve Water Resources for the Future

US Senators Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton announced today that Congress passed the FY 2005 Omnibus Appropriations Bill which includes $250,000 for Chautauqua County for their proposed plan to preserve water resources by mapping private sewage systems. The funding is included in the Veterans Affairs - Housing and Urban Development (VA-HUD) section of the bill. It is expected that the bill will be sent to the President in the coming weeks for his signature.

"Having clean water to drink is one of the most basic and important components to a good quality of life," Schumer said. "These funds will go towards making sure that drinking water in Chautauqua is safe, so we can nip this problem in the bud."

"Clean water is a precious commodity, especially in Chautauqua County. This assessment will provide guidance about the best way to preserve local water resources both now and into the future," Senator Clinton said. "I will continue to work with Senator Schumer to win final approval for this funding, which is so important to Chautauqua County."

The funds will be used to scan paper files on over 20,000 private sewage systems and link them through a database system to a county-wide Geographic Information System. These files are critical since most of the property owners also have private water wells and water contamination, present or future, is a real issue.

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