JAY – The Jay Village Water District will hold a public meeting Wednesday to discuss its proposal to seek a federal loan or grant for $200,000 to help build a pump station and upgrade water lines.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. Jan. 21, at the district’s 1 Mountain View office in North Jay.

“We’re trying to put in a pump station and some new water lines,” Superintendent Richard Jackson said.

Some of the water lines are about 50 years old, he said.

The new lines will be increased in size on Belmont, Skyline and Summit streets, located near the top of Jay Hill, off Route 4.

Adding the pump station, bigger lines and fire hydrants will increase the water pressure on top of Jay Hill to get better fire protection and water volume, Jackson said.

“It’s better for everybody,” he said.

The district will seek a loan or grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Wednesday’s meeting is one of the steps in the process, he said.

It isn’t known at this time if the project will require increased water rates, Jackson said. The last rate increase was in 1993 following another project to upgrade water lines, he said.