SHARED WATER LINE PART OF CAPE-JACKSON TALKS (BORDER TALKS, JACKSON AND CAPE GIRARDEAU) (3 IN A SERIES)

Editor's note: This is the third in a four-part series previewing the scheduled January meetings between Cape Girardeau and Jackson officials.

A common water line between Cape Girardeau and Jackson could be a lifesaver in the event of an emergency or major disaster and eventually could help both cities as they develop contiguous areas, officials say.

The proposal is one of the issues the two city bodies will discuss when they meet in a joint session Jan. 26.

Talk about establishing a common water line between the cities is very preliminary, officials say. Details of how the line or lines could be built and cost estimates haven't been worked out.

They just want to determine the feasibility.

Doug Leslie, director of public works for Cape Girardeau, said the practice of communities sharing water lines is common in metropolitan areas. "It's encouraged by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, where one city can assist another in cases of emergency," said Leslie.

An earthquake, tornado or major fires are the kind of emergencies that could deprive one of the towns of its water supply.

"It's basically an insurance policy," says Jackson City Administrator Steve Wilson. "If there is a dilemma with the water system in Cape, we would stand ready to assist them with their water needs. And the reverse would be true."

Spradling said the common water line could have another benefit. "We may be able to spur development for both communities. There's a possibility to use it beyond what it is being used for now."

Wilson said using a common water line to facilitate development "is not outside the realm of possibilities, where the two cities could have a well with common piping."

But, he said, "It's not immediately a dilemma we have. It would be used for an emergency rather than commonly used day to day."

Spradling said Cape Girardeau has looked at the issue of a mutual water hookup in the past but did not pursue it.

Kent Bratton, planning and zoning director for Cape Girardeau, said there could be as many as three interconnections between the two water systems. He couldn't estimate the cost but said, "It's fairly expensive to dig under an interstate highway."

Unlike Cape Girardeau, Jackson depends on wells for its water. It currently has four wells and expects to have another in operation soon, with a second additional well in the planning stage.

Officials say the common water line is not an attempt to provide Jackson with Cape Girardeau water.

"I think there's a tremendous amount of benefit for both communities," Spradling says.

In part, he attributes a closer relationship between Jackson and Cape Girardeau over the past few years to changes in the makeup of the two city councils and in philosophy among the staffs.

"It may be the times have changed," he said. "Jackson is undergoing tremendous growth. Their needs are starting to bulge at the seams."

Both mayors want to assure residents that Jackson and Cape Girardeau are going to maintain their own identities no matter how fruitful the talks are.

"We both want to stay two separate cities," Spradling says. "This is an opportunity to bounce ideas between the two of us in a friendly, open atmosphere."

Says Jackson Mayor Paul Sander, "The separate Cape and Jackson issues will continue to be separate issues."