Water is getting more valuable by the day, it seems. It is so valuable that Amarillo city officials are pondering whether to impose a fee for the water we allow to run off into storm sewers.
It's not without precedent, as cities such as Lubbock, Austin and Abilene impose fees - as much as $10 monthly - to help pay for infrastructure improvements.
The Amarillo Development Policy Review Committee heard a presentation that projects the city could raise as much as $10 million annually with the fee, which would be assessed on customers' water-and-sewer bills each month. The money would pay for street and alley repair and maintenance, as well as storm-drain improvements.
But consider this factor as well: The fee could deter the wasting of water, which in the grand scheme could cut into the revenue raised by its imposition.
Perhaps you've seen it. Water pours from sprinkler heads on commercial property, spilling onto sidewalks and into streets. It runs into storm drains, where it does no good whatsoever. Add to that the fact that we've had some mighty cold mornings of late. The water turns to ice, thus creating a significant hazard to those walking along the sidewalks or driving on the streets.
The city's capital-improvement projects need a revenue source. Attaching fees to the water many of us waste every day seems to be a reasonable option for the city to pursue.
It also has an added benefit of deterring further waste. Who wants to pay more for water than is absolutely necessary?
With surface and groundwater levels receding each day, we need to look for incentives to take better care of this valuable resource.
A little extra money out of consumers' pockets just might do the trick.