Plans for a pipeline from Lake Alan Henry to Lubbock progress at a Water Advisory Commission Meeting at City Hall Thursday.
"I would rather see them spend the money on something else,” says Lubbock resident Terry Lindstrom. "It's just going to get even more expensive, it's not going to get cheaper, and water problems aren't going to go away,” says another Lubbock resident, Marijane Wurdeman. Some Lubbock residents aren’t worried about the city’s water supply, while others disagree. "I think that without an adequate water supply, then we, as a community, are going to suffer when we can't draw economic increasement,” says Marijane.
"How much is our water worth? In order to guarantee we have water, in order to make sure we have the water we need now and in the future, this project is necessary,” says Tom Adams, Director of Water Utilities for the City of Lubbock.
The project, and possible solution, is something that has been in the works for a while. The city is considering building a sixty mile pipeline from Lake Alan Henry to Lubbock. Thursday, at a Water Advisory Commission Meeting, officials got the word from an engineering company on the best route for the project.
"Cost estimate in today's dollars is 212 million dollars, which is fairly expensive,” says Adams. Water customers will have to help foot the bill for the project. Officials say rates could go up about fifteen to twenty dollars a month by the time the project is completed in 2012. "All of us would like to see the project not cost what it costs. But it is necessary. All of us have recognized that we have to have water. It's not an option,” says Adams.
"I just don't think it's going to be as pressing as they lead us to believe,” says Terry Lindstrom. But, pressing or not, some say we shouldn't take a chance. After all, this could just be a big investment in our future. "It's got to be paid for somehow. That's the sad part about it, but it's still got to happen,” says Marijane Wurdeman.
The city council will eventually make a final decision on the pipeline. Meanwhile, officials say they will continue to look for alternatives to hiking up water prices to pay for the project.
