Editorial: Water study good for now and future

Posted 4/26/18

Water.

Its importance to the quality of life in Westport cannot be overstated.

For the thousands of homes and businesses fed by private wells, there is no resource more important than a …

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Editorial: Water study good for now and future

Posted

Water.

Its importance to the quality of life in Westport cannot be overstated.

For the thousands of homes and businesses fed by private wells, there is no resource more important than a reliable water supply. Many cannot drink the water that flows through their homes.

Many others send water into failed or failing septic systems, their waste polluting public waterways and affecting fish and wildlife populations.

The trend is alarming. Blessed with one of the most beautiful landscapes anywhere, Westport draws enormous strength from its natural resources. The Westport River and its tributaries provide income for commercial fishermen and endless enjoyment for recreational fishermen, boaters, kayakers, paddleboarders, swimmers and environmentalists.

Furthermore, the waterways strengthen the financial backbone of a town short on industry and reliant mostly on its residential taxpayers. Property values can literally rise and fall with the quality of water in this magnificent region — where a dying saltmarsh, lifeless river or polluted drinking supply could ripple through the housing market.

Town meeting voters should consider water, and the future of Westport water, when asked to approve the loan for a long-term water study in town. The state has offered a $150,000 loan for a water planning study, which the town could pay for at 2 percent interest over a 20-year period.

That seems like short money to develop an action plan that can impact quality of life and property values in this community for a generation or more — assuming the final report has the potential to impact life and property values for a generation or more.

It’s not unusual to see a government report produced with much hyperbole, bold on ideas, but without any hope of coming true. If placed in the right hands, and steered toward an action plan with attainable goals, this study makes sense for Westport now and in the future.

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Meet our staff
Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.