By HDN Staff
The funding has come through to upgrade the Havre water plant to the level needed by the city. This project has been in the works for several years, and has been needed for more than that.
The plant has had difficulty producing the volume of water needed for the area for some time, and the machinery is overworked and in need of replacement.
The new system will provide the needed water without straining the machinery, and will use state-of-the-art systems. The next question is how to pay for the $8.4 million low-interest loan the city has procured for the system.
While rates will have to go up over the years to pay for the loan, Havre citizens should realize that the low rates they have had over the years couldn't provide quality service. If rates had been raised to start planning for this years before, money could have been accumulated long ago to raise service to necessary levels.
The rate increases now should not need to raise Havre water rates above the average. They are a necessary evil if the city wants to be able to provide enough quality water to its citizens.
People might be unhappy to see the water rates rise again. But the alternative is not being sure if you will be able to turn on the faucet and get a cold, drinkable glass of water. Maybe raising the rates a bit isn't such a bad thing.
