NEW BERLIN — The Village of New Berlin is exploring options to improve and possibly replace the municipal water infrastructure.

The system is made up of four parts: Water wells, water storage structures, distribution systems, and lateral lines, according to New Berlin Mayor Peter Lennon.

"So what we would need is an upgrade to primarily the well house piece of it and the distribution line. So that's what we're looking for," said Lennon.

He said two of the major problems New Berlin residents are facing is rusting and clogging in their pipes. This is caused by chemicals in the water and outdated equipment.

"One is that the amount of chemicals that we have to put in to keep the water as pure as it is, or as healthy as it is," Lennon explained. "But the second is a lot of these laterals, which are actually owned by the property owner, are outdated."

Due to these factors, the Village of New Berlin had to spend funds on emergency repairs to the water lines, something that could be mitigated if the system is replaced, according to Lennon.

"The last three to five years we've spent 35 percent of our water budget on emergency repairs. Whether it be a line bursts, or a valve that causes problems, or a repair of something that somewhere in the system was lead lined, or something like that," said Lennon. "We know that it's only a matter of time until we wind up with another major issue. But what we're trying to do is stay ahead of that."

"We have got to bring our water distribution system up to the 21st century," he added.

Lack of reliable water sources and distribution also leads to a lack of economic growth in the area, said Lennon.

"Without the infrastructure you’re not gonna be able to have a healthy workforce or a healthy community, and you’re not going to be able to have the economic opportunity. No one wants to come in and live in or work in or set up a business in an area where they feel like the water system is a risk," he said.

The project would be paid for through grant money and low interest loans, Lennon said. The New Berlin board already took the first step and put in initial applications needed to be ranked by state officials. The rankings will determine their ability to compete for available grants.

"What we're going after right now is a series of grants and low cost loans. Now what we've done thus far is we have put in the initial application to get ranked by the state officials for grants and low cost loans. And they have an elaborate scoring system that evaluates your current conditions," Lennon explained. "If we get a high enough score, then we'll be able to compete for the grants and there's a whole suite of grants that are out there that we think we would be qualified for, if in fact our score is high enough."

The village will know where it ranks on the list by September, according to Lennon, and if the village is awarded funding, the entire project could be completed in around 18 months.

Lennon added that New Berlin has applied for this funding in the past, but has never scored very high. He believes this time around they will have a better chance as they are presenting a more long term solution, something he said could last, "multiple decades."

The low interest loans would most likely increase taxes for residents, however. Lennon said officials are looking into these effects and are trying to come up with the best solution.

"That's what we've got to try to figure out is, what is going to cause the least increase in taxes? And what is going to cause the least potential increase in water bills? Our quarterly water bills?" He said.

There will be public hearings to discuss the funding options and infrastructure improvements in the near future, according to Lennon. He said the replacement project will affect residents' lives and taxes, so he wants their voices to be heard.

"Let them be part of the solution and part of the ownership of this system. It's their system. It's their distribution system, it's their supply system. I want them to be proud of it and I want them to feel like we did the best that we could with the infrastructure that we have here," said Lennon.

"I believe it's an investment, and the dollars that we're spending here will give us a huge return on that investment and we’ll avoid some of the expenses that people are already seeing. We’ll avoid the potential for a water distribution catastrophe," he added.

Overall, Lennon said he believes the infrastructure improvements are necessary, and will benefit the area economically and health-wise.

"I think it has short term and long term economic benefits as well as the immediate health benefits to the community," he said. "The money is out there. Now is the time to go after it, because it might not be in the future."