THE SPRINGS ECHO

The People's Water
by Richard Cordova (January 2020)

All of us understand how critical water is. Water is life! Try to live without clean water for one day and this truth becomes critical. Staying hydrated is most important. If you have water on demand, you might forget how essential it is to all of us, physically and mentally.

From what I understand, the Colorado Springs Utility Company and City Council, as the utility board, control our water. Therefore, the City Council ultimately determines the water’s overall cost, usage, and profit.

I bring this subject up for many reasons, but as part of the homeless community, it concerns me that ensuring all of us have regular access to water is something our city officials have overlooked.

There must be a solution to get something done to help all of us have greater access to clean water. Even the nonprofit places that are in place will only supply water when they can. Their work is appreciated, but the last time I checked water is needed all the time. Not all our schedules or lifestyles are the same.

At times I feel like we’re being punished, being denied one of life’s most precious and vital resources. We need water to cook, clean, and maintain personal hygiene and hydration. I encourage the City Council and our community nonprofits, or anyone for the matter, who might have some type of solution that will provide “round-the-clock” water for us to come forward. This would allow us to be clean, and healthy, and would simply be the just and moral thing to do.