Guest columnist
The fight continues over the clean-up of Falls Lake, a drinking water reservoir for Wake County that collects run-off and pollutants from Durham County.
Wake County, whose own environmental policies are questionable at best, wants Durham to abide by strict regulations for nutrient deposits in Falls Lake.
Durham argues that the regulations are unreasonable and that more scientific modeling should take place before rules are put into place.
The fact is that the Triangle's population is growing at a rapid rate. This growth requires comprehensive planning and maintenance of existing systems to provide safe drinking water that will meet current demands. Why, then, are local officials tangled in a battle over who pays for clean water?
The continued conflict only serves to put real solutions on hold. Instead of focusing on ways to provide North Carolina residents with clean water no matter where they live, our elected officials are engaged in a sophomoric debate to ensure that no one benefits for free and that no county pays more than its fair share.
The issue at hand causes me to wonder: Would Durham be willing to pay if its actions directly benefited its citizens? Would Wake be willing to pay if Falls Lake was in its jurisdiction?
It seems unlikely that if Durham officials were drinking water from Falls Lake that they would be spending money from stormwater funds on a lobbyist instead of a solution. It also seems unlikely that Wake would require such strict regulations if they had to front the bill.
So where is the compromise? Perhaps it is time for both counties to take lessons from pre-school. Simple lessons like sharing with your peers, or helping the teacher clean up, address this problem.
To move forward, a politically radical approach is needed -- cooperation. The real concern should be over the fact that no matter which county pays what fees, citizens and officials alike deserve safe drinking water supplies.
Raleigh-Durham was ranked as America's smartest "city" by the Daily Beast, and it's time we start living up to our reputation.
My request to officials is twofold. First, set a good example for our youth. Stop fighting over who's going to clean up the toys -- start helping your neighbor instead of blaming them for problems. Second, start looking for solutions instead of avoiding responsibilities.
Durham, if the goal is to save money, then don't hire a lobbyist and spend valuable money on litigation. Wake, if you want clean water then offer aid to protect Falls Lake.
WakeUp Wake has secured corporate funding for a forum to continue the fight in a public setting. What about securing corporate funds to clean up the lake?
It is in each county's history to spend time and taxpayer dollars on conflict instead of cooperation. Durham recently engaged in a 10-year battle over whether to allow electronic billboards, only to have the issue resurface this week. Wake continues to flip-flop between year-round schooling and diversity busing programs.
So it comes as no surprise to see the two counties fighting instead of solving problems. But citizens need to stand up and say "Enough." Perhaps stormwater fees wouldn't be unreasonable if we demanded that they be used for their purpose -- to manage runoff from developed land. And perhaps Raleigh's water situation would be less dire if its citizens demanded that their stormwater fees help clean their own drinking water.
Compromise and thinking outside the box is the cure for this age-old battle.
Egos and immaturity will only lead to valuable tax money going down the (storm) drain.
Ashley Abernethy is a North Carolina native and a master's student at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment.
