MIDDLEPORT — The Village of Middleport plans to seek additional funding from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to abandon one of its water wells, develop another and possibly extend water service to customers in Hobson.

Residents in the Hobson community were promised water service 20 years ago, when the village annexed the community. Several obstacles, namely cost, have stood in the way of developing that service. While village government has discussed possible expansion to that community, it has never materialized, and some residents in Hobson haul water to their homes.

Village Administrator Faymon Roberts said the EPA has recommended for several years that the village abandon its Well 3, which is located in General Hartinger Park.

Using funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the village developed a new well, which is now operating on an alternating basis with another well. Well 3 has been out of use.

Roberts told village council last month is now completing paperwork necessary to apply for loan forgiveness and loan funding to develop a new well and extend water lines below Powell Street to the Hobson community.

Roberts said water from the abandoned well contains a high level of nitrates.

ARRA, or federal economic stimulus funds, were used last year to install nearly five miles of new water lines in the village, along with the new well development. Roberts will seek financing through the EPA’s financing arm.The area in lower Middleport which is the site of the newest well could be used to develop a new one. The new well has been in operation since the middle of 2010.