Work on Second Water Source Could Start Soon

A second source of water could be closer than you think. And Wednesday, the CWLP director says youll have a voice in whether the city builds another lake or start drilling wells. The mayor is feeling the pressure ... Hes been touting Hunter Lake for a couple years and nothing has been done. Theyve had problems trying to get a permit from the EPA because of agreements with the surrounding communities. Now the city says they are one step closer to getting a conditional permit... now that an Army Corp of Engineers survey will be released... Clearing the way to start work on a second source of water. But whatever it is, CWLP leaders say this 50-year project could have saved rate payers millions if it were done 20 years ago. But now they say the city needs more water right now. "The hospitals, the nursing homes, everything else .... because of the public health issue [we have] to have water. And if something happened with our lake theres no place for us to buy water we are not like these other communities," said CWLP Manager Todd Renfrow. And CWLPs Water Division Manager Tom Skelley adds, "This one wont be any different youll see water coming out but this will be for cleaner than the existing pollution control equipment." Youll have a month to make comments. From there aldermen will determine where to get their second source of water. And one of the main hold-ups in this debate could be how high water rates will go up. The manager says no matter what water source they use rates will jump. But he wouldnt say by how much only to say Springfield would pay higher for the construction of the new water source.