MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The quality of water, as well as its price and availability in Memphis and surrounding areas, are leading factors when it comes to jobs in the region.
The 45 members of a new task force are now looking at ways to promote the area’s regional water resources and attract new businesses.
The city has been making an effort for quite some time to put a plan in place.
Mayor A C Wharton and city leaders say there needs to be a strategy in place when talking about water resources. He and members of his task force are taking the first step to come up with a plan.
“Right now we do not have a strategy where everybody, all sectors of the economy, are working together to make sure in the short term and long term that we’re doing everything to protect the great water supply we have,” he said.
A team called the Blue Task Force will meet and discuss ways to protect water resources, such as the Memphis sands and the Mississippi River.
Wharton says having a definite plan will help the city maintain a competitive edge.
“When you get into high level research, you want pure water, when you get into brewery work, when you get into medical manufacturing, you want your water as pure as you can get it,” he said.
Wharton says this gives the city an advantage. The task force will include 45 community members and include three advisory committees.
Those committees are transportation, economic development, and environmental.
“So much of our livelihood, economy rests upon and depends upon us keeping this water supply in pure form,” he said.
Each advisory group is responsible for coming up recommendations to help keep the water resources pure.
A meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 1:30 outside City Hall to talk more about this newly created task force.