A matter of necessity

With the Primary Election behind us, it seems the hot topic still on the table is water, particularly whether we continue to use surface water or explore sinking a well at other sites to start using ground water.

However, another water project has certainly seen some prominence in the past couple months — the water line rehabilitation project. The project began as an already large undertaking, incorporating Hot Springs State Park, Fifth Street, Seventh Street, and small portions of Warren Street and Sixth Street.

However, there’s been plenty to slow the project down. Several lines were found underground at the state park had to be checked out before work could continue. Likewise, old lines have been found under Thermopolis streets, requiring that water services be turned off in order for them to be removed.

On top of that, the firm doing the rehabilitation project also took on a line break at Canyon Hills. Though additional crews have been brought in to help with the work, it still means they’re are going to be busy in the streets, which means the detours along Fifth and Seventh streets will still be in place and will move as the lines are replaced.

As this has been a weeks-long project, there’s been time to find other routes to home, work, or errands around town. True, the constant moving of the “road closed” signs is an inconvenience and often they aren’t seen until one makes a turn down a particular street, but planning ahead for these detours can do a lot toward making sure you still get to your destination on time. Before we know it, the crews will have finished their job and our streets will be back to normal.

And it’s not as if the work is being done just to inconvenience us. Just as with power lines and other parts of the Thermopolis infrastructure, this is necessary maintenance. Water lines don’t last forever, and with temperatures taking a radical nosedive lately it’s only a matter of time before the first freeze comes and cracks the old pipes.

While the debate between surface or ground water will likely continue on for some time, this is one water project that needs to be done.