MIDDLEPORT — Installation of new water lines and fire hydrants in the lower end of Middleport, an area not currently served by the village’s water system, is expected to get under way in early April.

The area where the waterline extension and hydrants will be installed is part of the Hobson section annexed into the village a number of years ago. Middleport Mayor Mike Gerlach stresssed that not all of the annexed area is included in the section where the new lines will go. What it will include, he said, is eight to 10 houses on the river side. The lines will begin on Powell Street and go onto Leading Creek Road, both of which now have water lines but not fire hydrants. The replacement lines will be adequate to support the use of hydrants.

Last week, six bids on the project were opened by Middleport Village Council. The lowest bid was $398,813 received from TAM Construction.

Gerlach said no further action on the water line extension will be taken by Council until the project engineer has time to review the bids and make a recommendation, but he foresees no problems or excessive delays in that process being completed so that the project can move forward in early April.

Asked how the water line extension will be paid for, the mayor said some funding is expected to be available from grants and some from “forgiven” loans — with some of the cost to come from the village.

The village also has another water project which is expected to get under way soon. Last year, one of the village’s three water wells on Page Street had to be shut down. Plans were then put into place to drill a replacement well, and the village entered into an agreement with Choice One Engineer services for the planning, design and construction of the well.

At last week’s meeting, it was reported that the well project was one of five selected from the region to go to the state level for funding approval.

Gerlach credited Kurtis Strickland of the Rural Community Assistance Program and Michelle Hyer of Buckeye Hills for moving the project along for funding. He also credited Council President Rae Moore for spending time tracking down some key documentation needed to move the project forward.

Meanwhile, the village’s $7 million sewer replacement project is moving right along, and the expectation is that the work will be completed well before the end of 2012. The engineering design calls for some separation of the village’s sanitary and storm sewers. The EPA mandated that the work be done several years ago, but it was only when outside funding was secured that the village could begin the work. That entire project is being funded through grants and forgiven loans.