It goes without saying that water is an critical part of life.
First, it is necessary for the body to operate at a very basic level. The human body will not function much more than three days without water. Past a certain point, the blood thickens, brain function begins to slow down and internal organs begin to fail.
Water is also necessary to address societal issues at a macro level such as the co-ordinated fighting of fires, transportation of goods and the maintenance of a sanitary environment.
That’s why the news that the two pumps responsible for siphoning water into the Aspen Regional Water Treatment Plant broke down late in 2016 is so alarming.
Granted, the water commission handled the situation in the best way possible given the circumstances, getting the first pump repaired and in operation again quickly.
Also, the raw water holdings pond – a reserve that is held in case of emergencies like these – would have provided water for two to four weeks. But the fact that both pumps could both go down at the same time illustrates how fragile these vital pieces of infrastructure can be.
Kevin Haines – chair of the Aspen Regional Water Services Commission board – said these issues are recurring ones, the consequence of a system that is over 50 years old struggling to work properly with the newer infrastructure installed over the last few years.
In a recent presentation he made to the Town of Athabasca’s town council, Haines was asked why the water commission chose to raise water rates five percent instead of using the commission’s reserve fund.
His response was that it would be unwise to dip into those funds considering the anticipated maintenance required for the raw water intake pond and the pumps. Those turned out to be prophetic statements, given December’s events.
With a number of big projects on the horizon, care should be taken to make sure that the town’s infrastructure is prepared to manage the increased demand that will be placed on it.
Because without the water, nothing works.
