Imagine turning your faucet on, expecting water to flow, and all you get is air. Now imagine you can only use water for a few hours in the morning, a few hours in the evening at times determined by whether your house number is odd or even. Stop imagining, because this will soon become a reality for most of us in Roosevelt.

Less than a year ago I wrote a letter to the Examiner. I wrote about "the looming crisis, our water system" and the potential that would have on harming Roosevelt. At that time we just had an increase on our water rate of $25; I warned that we could expect continued increases on the water rate from $150-$200 a month. The increases would be necessary because of major breakdowns of the system in the near future; in light of having to replace the water tower, those increases will be happening sooner. Unfortunately, replacing the water tower will not be the end of our problems; we still have to deal with an aging and repair-prone water plant. Increasing water rates will become more of a tax burden, and not a user fee, which will put Roosevelt's future under a dark cloud.

At the last council meeting, a council person asked who should have known about maintaining the water tower. The borough engineer answered, the water operator, the water engineer and borough officials (council). The fact that the question was asked is the problem.

Over the last 10 years, Roosevelt has had a revolving-door style of managing our utilities, from engineers, water operators and utility chairpersons with little knowledge and no understanding of how a water and sewer system operates. It is time for consistency in the management of our water and sewer utility, possibly a utility authority.

We as a town have been deaf and blind when it comes to our water crisis, which to me is Roosevelt's life blood. All of us must take the same pro-active role that has been taken in past issues, like preserving open space and limiting development. I believe we can overcome this crisis when and if we make this a town priority.

Steve Kaufman

Roosevelt