Water meter's ticking
 
 Anticipation is what planning's all about - trying to control the future. The subject now and well into the future: WATER! Water supply, water quality, water pollution, waste water, ground water, aquifers, drought, dry wells.

Obviously like air, food and heat, water is second most critical to our survival. Yet, how many folks are reading the warning signs and starting to cut back, to reuse it, to treasure it? Have you? I have just started.

With our reservoirs drying up and our aquifers being depleted, we must use every means of saving water until these vital repositories are replenished. Along with normal household, commercial and industrial water savings, new residential and commercial growth must be curtailed.

What are our current average daily water usages in Easton, Talbot County and surrounding areas? Do we know? We know our sources are being depleted today. what will be the impact of more development? Disastrous, unless developers can make rain!

Easton has 3,081 housing units approved or under review now.

Queen Anne's County currently has 8,912 under similar circumstances.

Don't even ask about the buildouts to 2020. So, I leave it to you to contemplate our future.

The water meter is ticking and in the RED. We better start anticipating growth and life with depleted water resources - NOW! 

EUGENE B. MECHLING Jr., Easton 
 
©The Star Democrat 2002