Visions 2015 Rockdale News Special Section | Page 21
Continued from page 15
For instance, why not look at ways of using rainwater for
non-drinking/consumption functions? “Do you really need drinking water for your lawn? Do you need drinking water to wash your
car?” Wicks pointed out that drinking water is also being used to
flush our toilets.
Maintaining our water quality is another key area. That also will
require public education to reduce the amount of gasoline, kerosene, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and runoff-pollution going into
our streams, rivers and stormwater drains right now, said Wicks.
Preventing pollution also saves money in the cost of cleaning the
water.
Maintaining the existing water and sewer infrastructure is critical.
Currently, RWR has enough capital to replace about a quarter to
a third of its assets as it breaks down and depreciates, such as the
pumps, pipes and plants. Wicks would like to see that capital go up
to 60 to 70 percent, or about $5-$7 million. Currently, RWR has also
been working on converting from traditional water meters to radio
read water meters, to better monitor for leaks and such.
Murrain said “One of the greatest unseen challenges is that a lot
of the lines in the grounds are old. People don’t see them. They
turn on the spigot, water comes out. They flush the toilet, the water
goes away… It’s not like a street light. They don’t see the miles and
miles of pipe lines, turbines.” There are about 400-550 miles of
pipeline in the ground. With older water pipes come more leaks and
blockages, in the same way plaque builds up and blocks an artery.
Expanding the wastewater processing capacity is key to being able
to attract industrial and commercial development. Currently, the
county has about 8 million gallons per day of processing capacity,
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and about 7 MGD of that is used or pledged. RWR would like to
increase that capacity by 2 to 3 MGD.
It takes two or three years to bring additional sewage processing
capacity online. “We can’t wait until they come knocking at our
door. We have to have that available.”
“The economy’s going to pick back up,” and with it will come )