Get facts on water, then move ahead

It's time to quit arguing about water. It's time for everyone involved -- McCook council members, engineers and concerned citizens -- to come together, with cooperative attitudes, in search of a solution.

What we, as a community, need to do is move ahead on the water issue, looking objectively at all the information, fairly weighing the merits of (1) Going north to drill new wells; (2) Going south to expand the present field by drilling additional wells in the Republican River Valley; and/or (3) Formulating a long-range plan to determine if and when treatment will be necessary.

There are so many things to consider. It numbs the mind to consider all the possibilities. We know, because as newspaper people we have been called upon to sit down with both city officials and concerned citizens. At those sessions, which have taken place repeatedly over the past dozen years, we have heard numerous viewpoints about what is the best way for the city to develop a safe and sufficient water supply for the future.

The problem has been that those most intensely involved in the water issue (including past and present city officials, engineers and concerned citizens) have focused upon their particular plan, allowing little if any give and take.

What's wrong with that? Only one thing. If neither side will budge, we are hopelessly mired in dispute. So, at this late date, what we are asking is for all sides to pledge themselves to seeking a fair, comparative look at all the alternatives. That's going to be tough. We will need the wisdom of Solomon, but since we're 21st Century citizens, the best we can hope for is the sharing of our mutual, shared visions, with the aim of achieving consensus.

The good thing is that all concerned are intensely interested and passionately committed to finding the best solution to McCook's water problems. They differ in approach, but their heart is in the right place.

The mayor and members of the McCook City Council, to their credit, are trying to find a resolution to the long-standing water quality question. Their actions Monday night were a start in that direction.

Let's not stop there. Let's stand up for what we believe, but let's also respect those with other viewpoints and listen to what they have to say, too.

Gather facts, fairly. Seek citizen input. Then decide -- in both the short-term and long-term -- what's the safest and most cost effective solution for McCook's water problem.

If that can be done -- and we are naive enough to believe it is possible -- it would be one of the most beneficial things, ever, to happen to this community.