40% waste

EDITORIAL

The Rockdale City Council does not have a difficult task as it deals with how to fix Rockdale’s water problems.

The Rockdale City Council has an impossible task as it deals with how to fix Rockdale’s water problems.

Impossible in the sense that there’s no way it can be done and make everyone happy. Also, impossible in the sense that there’s really no way it can be done and make anyone happy.

But it has to be done and it’s going to be done. The situation has reached critical mass—in fact it’s probably been at that point for some time—and all the discussion at three town halls and beyond has been about “how” not “if”.

And certainly not “why?”

“Red water” gets all the ink and air time and, frankly, it probably gets too much. Yes, there are undoubtedly days when you don’t want to wash your clothes or take a swig from the tap.

But red water is a symptom of the problem, not the problem itself.

Why do you think red water happens? Because lines need work and work knocks stuff from the inside of ancient lines and then you have red water.

But, let’s take it one step further. Why do lines need work? Because they are, quite literally in some cases, falling apart.

At one of the recent town halls City Manager Chris Whittaker made a comment that didn’t spark the interest it should have. He noted the city is now losing approximately 40 percent of its water to breaks in the line. Almost half.

Over the past four years the city has recorded 1,400 water line breaks and 36 water main (the big ones) breaks.

They’ve been “fixed” but “patched” would be a better word. Rockdale’s water system now has more band aids than Johnson & Johnson.

Want evidence? Drive Rockdale’s streets. Hear those “thump, thumps?” Many of those are from our water system’s band aids.

That’s a compelling case for replacing those pipes all by itself.

To their credit, nobody has come forward at the town halls saying “let’s not do anything.” Doing nothing is going to cost taxpayers a huge amount paying for state and federal fines, an amount that will only increase over time. Rates will still go up and the problem will only get worse.

Mostly the town halls have been productive as residents correctly point out how much pain doubling or tripling rates will cause them. It will.

Others plead special cases for senior citizens or those on fixed incomes. They are entitled, but if exceptions are granted the slack will have to be taken up somewhere. Where?

Those are the kinds of questions the city must deal with. Notice we said “deal with,” not “answer.” There really aren’t any answers when the answer for six decades has been to kick the can a little further down the road.

Well, now the can leaks and there’s nothing to do but get a new can.—M.B.