MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Members of Memphis’ new regional water supply task force learned more Thursday about their role in promoting the area’s abundant supply of high quality water.
Forty-five people are a part of this group, which hopes that having some of the best water in the country might get business and industry to have notice.
Thursday’s meeting was closed door, but WREG caught up with members of the task force before and after the meeting.
A spokesperson with Mayor A C Wharton’s office also gave us a copy of the action plan for the year. It lists a schedule of meetings, although there still isn’t a definite strategy in place yet.
A water plan for Memphis is something real estate businessman Larry Jensen first mentioned to WREG in 2013.
He wants to promote the city’s quality water supply. WREG asked him if he thinks it’s taking too long to come up with a strategic plan.
“Well some things have to cook sometimes or maybe come to a boil but I don’t know that it’s too long it’s just that you’ve got to get people focused on it asking the right questions and getting the right people,” he said.
A spokesperson with the mayor’s office says it takes time to put a strategic plan in place. She says there’s a lot of factors you have to consider when doing something like this.
The Blue Stream Task Force plans to spend the rest of the year coming up with a strategy to protect the water supply.
It will focus on ways to protect and sustain our pure water supply while keeping costs low and creating new jobs.
“That’s part of the role of this task force is to look at it, evaluate it and to think about it together and come up with a community wide plan that benefits everyone,” Jensen said.
Wharton told WREG Wednesday the city must find a way to rely on water; one of our greatest resources.
“So much of our livelihood, economy rests upon and depends upon us keeping this water supply in pure form,” Jensen said.
A definite plan isn’t in place right now, but Jensen says by the end of the year people who live in the area will have a better understanding of how the water supply can benefit everyone
“I think we have to stop and ask ourselves, what do we really have, what does it mean to the community currently and long term for job creation,” he said.
Mayor Wharton wasn’t available for comment.
Another meeting is scheduled for March.
