EARLVILLE – Village of Earlville approved a $3.4 million water system improvement project Tuesday.

A total of 243 residents voted yesterday, while another 20 had filed absentee or affidavit ballots. When the votes were totaled, the project passed 157 to 86 – not counting the absentee ballots.

The Village of Earlville has been discussing a water project for years. Due to the age of the cast iron pipes that make up most of the water system, village water in many areas contains sediment and looks brown. Corrosion in the pipes has caused a decrease in water pressure that has caused many of the village’s fire hydrants to become inoperable. The proposed project would address those and other issues.

“For decades Village of Earlville residents have wanted a water project. I, Trustee [Mark] Doeberl, Trustee [Kim] Boomhower and Trustee [William] Excell have worked very hard for the constituents of this community. This water project will benefit the entire community, and we will continue to work for this project and to bring it to them at a cost they can afford in these difficult economic times,” Mayor Toni Campbell said.

Boomhower and Campbell both gave credit to the hard work of the water committee in getting the project approved. Campbell said she wanted to thank the water committee, made up of Nancy Schell, Jim and Joelle Faulks, David Levitt and Daniel Piliero; the Planning Board and all of the residents of the community who demanded that government work for them.