Summertime,
And the livin’ is easy
Fish are jumping
And the cotton is high
These lines from George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess evoke a commonly shared feeling about this time of the year. Whether you grew up in a rural area or in the middle of the city, most of us view summer in a positive light. For students, it means a break from school; for many others, a vacation; for agricultural producers, a time of hard work and high hopes for a coming successful harvest; and for most of America, a season of warmer temperatures, clear skies and an opportunity to enjoy the many bounties of nature.
However, in large areas of the country, summertime is a difficult period for water utilities and their dedicated staff. Record droughts in 2011 have extended into this year, challenging the resources and resourcefulness of water providers. My home state of Texas has been hard-hit by drought as well as New Mexico and large areas of the Southeast.
Water utilities are implementing aggressive conservation measures, examining new or alternative supply sources, repairing leaks, and trying to figure out how to pay for it all. All of us can contribute by taking steps to limit our own water use and by being supportive of water utilities’ efforts aimed at ensuring uninterruptible supplies of water for household, commercial and industrial uses.
As described in this issue, one area in Kentucky has moved forward with a large, regional treatment plant to serve many systems in a multi-county area. Although higher rates are expected, by making this investment now in their communities’ future, the City of Somerset and its wholesale customers will be better-prepared to meet increasing population demands and support new economic activity.
The idea of investing for the future, of making sacrifices now for the betterment of the next generation, has been a distinguishing characteristic of Americans. All of us are now enjoying the benefits of previous generation’s investments in infrastructure, transportation networks, and education and information systems. Water and wastewater utilities are an area where investments are needed now in order to maintain and sustain these critical services that ensure public health and promote economic growth.
A brief summary of a recent American Water Works Association report that examines water infrastructure needs is also in this issue. As with Gershwin’s Bess, I believe that all of us want to be able to reassure our children and their children that summertime in the future will always be a time to enjoy the bounties of nature and the fruits of our labors.
I also want to welcome a new member to the RCAP board of directors—Jennifer McLaughlin, president of Nalu Energy in Columbus, Ohio (more information about her will be in the next issue). We also bid a fond farewell to Viki Kimsal, who served on the RCAP board for nearly ten years. Viki contributed enormously to RCAP’s work. Her compassion, enthusiasm, and unflinching positive attitude were contagious. She was a friend to us all, and we wish her the very best in the future.
Robert Stewart
RCAP Executive Director