Buying more water rights a no-brainer

Les Minor, columnist
Les Minor, columnist

Texarkana, Ark., Board of Directors is considering raising water rates to secure Millwood Lake water rights they believe will one day pay big dividends.

This is a no-brainer. They should do it.

The average customer will pay somewhat less than $2 a month more to make this possible.

Historically, leadership on both sides of town has resisted increases unless there was a clear and present need.

What the Arkansas side is proposing would be a proactive move, a move that might not pay off immediately, but for generations to come.

Water is becoming the new oil. Texarkana needs to invest accordingly. Opportunity is knocking.

While it is easy to suggest how others should spend their money, standing pat carries its own risks.

Other communities are paying in advance to ensure they are well-positioned to meet future needs. Other places are not content with waiting to see what the future brings. Paying for future needs is something they do in advance.

We see this in strategies the Metroplex is employing to make sure it's not without water, strategies that are far-reaching and may eventually spill over into Arkansas.

If Texarkana isn't vigilant in protecting these rights, others will not be shy about dipping into this pool.

Excess water rights that aren't claimed can be purchased by other parties-both public and private. Texarkana can be first in line if it wants to be.

At an October city board meeting, there seemed to be solid support for this move. Now, enthusiasm seems more muted.

That's to be expected. These are tough times. Gas prices may be down, but many household expenses are trending the other way. Rising health care costs are killing us.

Many households will say they can't afford this increase, as nominal as it might be. But from a big-picture perspective, the city needs to do this.

Excess water rights that aren't claimed can be purchased by other parties. The Southwest Arkansas Water District isn't going to sit by as a passive caretaker of this resource. Indeed, the district is obligated to find buyers.

Water is a game-changer. For all the infighting about costs and controls, rates here are reasonable. Check around-and certainly variables exist-but because city leaders have been frugal in the past, officials can up the ante without putting much stress on customers.

Yes, there are some parts of town that will feel the pain more than others, but a greater good needs to be served.

When will Texarkana, Ark., reap the benefits of this investment? That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?

The completion of Interstate 49 should improve the city's economic fortunes, with crossing interstates creating more traffic and commercial interest.

But whether businesses locate here or we send our water elsewhere, there will be a market for it.

No one disputes that. Only the timetable. So pay a little now or a lot more later.

Until desalination becomes an affordable option-and someday it will-that seems a reasonable assumption.

Whether that future is in 10, 20, 50 years is impossible to predict. But when the day comes, it will be better to have a surplus rather than a need.

And while it is reasonable to expect some pushback, anything less than a commitment to the long view will be shortsighted.

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