Mt. Vernon Register-News

Opinion

December 10, 2008

A Reader's View: Belle Rive mayor waiting for answers on water issue

Editor:

We in Belle Rive are following the newspaper stories about the Waltonville-Mt. Vernon water problem with great interest. Although our village is not a part of the Rend Lake Conservancy District, we also cannot buy water directly from the district. Even though we have a Rend Lake water line running within 200 feet of our line, which could be attached, we must buy our water from Mt. Vernon at the same markup in price.

Like Waltonville, many of us living in our village have also expressed this problem with others at the district and the city of Mt. Vernon. Our problem fell on deaf ears.

As mayor of our village, I want to know why our community must buy water from Mt. Vernon when Dahlgren, not more than three miles to the east of us, is not under the same restriction. They can buy water directly from the district and do so.

It appears to us that those of us living in Jefferson County outside the city limits of Mt. Vernon must subsidize the water department of the city. Let’s put the shoe on the other foot. Why don’t we reverse the process and require Mt. Vernon to buy water from our village for the next 40 years.

I eagerly await a reply from Mt. Vernon or the conservancy district for answers to my questions.

Don Wilkey

Mayor of Belle Rive

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