Could Warwick imagine a day without water?

Janine Burke-Wells and Dan O'Rourke
Posted 10/6/15

Whenever you read something about how “our infrastructure is falling apart,” you probably picture potholes in the road, rundown sidewalks or rusted out bridges that are in need of repair. But, …

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Could Warwick imagine a day without water?

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Whenever you read something about how “our infrastructure is falling apart,” you probably picture potholes in the road, rundown sidewalks or rusted out bridges that are in need of repair. But, what many people tend to forget is that’s just the infrastructure that you can see. Have you ever stopped to consider the whole universe, the world right under your feet? The one that’s older than most of the roads and streets we drive on?

Underground, out of sight and out of mind, is a massive and complex network of water, sewer, and storm-water systems that work 24/7/365 to bring clean, safe drinking water to us. That same system then takes away the used water to be treated before returning to our lakes, rivers, and oceans. According to National Geographic and the EPA, the U.S. has 2.4 million miles of water mains and sewer lines – that’s 52 miles of pipe for every mile of interstate highway. Many of those pipes were built in the early 1900s, and many of those systems were built for cities of a century ago, not today’s modern cities and towns.

If one day those systems failed us, Warwick would wake up to a very unpleasant reality. Imagine living a day without water! Imagine getting out of bed and not being able to brush your teeth, flush the toilet, take a shower, or worse, make your coffee! And that’s just where residential use is concerned. Commercial use is a huge component of water consumption as well. Everything from restaurants to laundromats to manufacturing plants to the Impossible Dream playground needs water. Water keeps our economy hydrated and flowing.

Can you picture a day without the ability to consume or use water from sources around us? Without the proper treatment, our water sources become contaminated, and our favorite fishing and swimming holes will quickly become polluted. Our beautiful beaches, which draw so many tourists, and are a pivotal part of our economy, depend on our ability to properly manage our water, wastewater and storm-water. Imagine a summer without the ability to cool off at one of the many beaches in the state? Last year alone our three salt-water beaches, City Park, Conimicut Point and Oakland Beach, drew approximately 28,000 visitors to their shores. If the beaches had to close for an extended period of time due to contaminated water, there would most definitely be an economic impact as well as an environmental one.

The city of Warwick knows that water is essential to our everyday lives, and that’s why we’ve joined the nationwide education effort called “Imagine a Day Without Water.” Dozens of other water agencies, mayors, engineers, contractors, business leaders, community members, schools and many more are joining forces to help inform, educate and advise the communities around us about the importance of continually maintaining our water systems. This cannot be an out of sight, out of mind issue.

The worst thing we can do is push these concerns out of our minds. Our water systems here in Warwick, and across the country, are older than many realize. We have some treatment facilities and pipes that date back as far as 1940. And while Warwick Water and Kent County Water Authority do a great job ensuring that safe, reliable and affordable water is brought to our area, we want to remind our residents that just because the infrastructure is invisible to us doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Even though water falls freely from the sky, and find its way to rivers, lakes and oceans, that doesn’t make it free. In Warwick alone we use 5.5 to 6 million gallons of water every year. Processing and treating it, bringing it to and from houses and businesses costs the Department of Public Works Water Division $11 million a year. This is why it’s so important to remember that no matter how much or how little water is used, the price tag is a hefty one. As our water systems continue to age, the cost of repairs continues to climb. The same is true for our wastewater infrastructure and facilities that protect our drinking and recreational waters, ensuring they are kept safe, beautiful and clean.

The good news is we can get ahead of the curve. Deferred maintenance, waiting until a water main breaks or sewer lines overflow – those are the most expensive repairs possible. But if we continually maintain the system, if we upgrade our pipes, if we implement smarter technology that spots weaknesses in the system before they turn into breaks, then we can save money in the long run. And if we keep doing a good job, this community will never have to imagine a day without water. 

Janine Burke-Wells is executive director of the Warwick Sewer Authority and Dan O’Rourke is chief of the Warwick Water Division.

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