Thomas S Baron Pe/Ce

Southern New Englan's Future Thirst Thomas S Baron Pe/Ce

There are obviously challenges inherent to the concept for a $50 Billion Regional Plan. But Planning is necessary to be ahead of the next CRISIS. But none of the Plan proposals involve NEW technical challenges - only the application of a different scale of similar solutions applied in the past. What the Plan does challenge is the need to adopt a strategic and long-term view. Protection of resources, particularly conflicting land use practices, must be viewed in multiple centuries. What the Plan does challenge is design of water systems based on a single year's self-sufficiency and a single year's storage. Application of lessons of past drought shortages should develop a new paradigm which understands mutual regional support and storage capable of "spanning the lean times". What the plan provides is a phased implementation of facilities and service over multiple decades, promoting cost effective husbanding of land, water, and air resources.