DO WE NEED RAIN? WE CERTAINLY DO!

OK. You've heard it everywhere else -- home, work, school, church, mall, movie theater, ballfield, golf course, farm. So you might as well hear it here:

Man, we sure need a good rain.

Cape Girardeau, in particular, has been hit hard by this summer's drought. Oh, there has been rain. But the areas hit by wet drops have been spotty. Among almost any group of employees at almost any business here, there are those who saw nice showers fall on their lawns and gardens and fields, while other didn't see a drop. Sometimes these employees only live a half-mile -- or less -- from each other.

Because of the dry spell and because of increasing demand, Cape Girardeau's water system has barely been able to keep up.

Knowing that demand would continue to grow and that a dry summer, like this one, could spell trouble for the city's water system, voters were asked in 1996 to approve a $26.5 million package of improvements. One portion of the project -- adding more storage capacity -- is nearly complete. But, as they say in horseshoes, close isn't good enough.

Officials at the water department expect the improvements to be finished by next summer, and there is every reason to believe that the city's water supply will be able to keep up even with a dry summer.

In the meantime, Cape Girardeau residents have been asked to voluntarily watch how much water they use. And to use common sense. For example, instead of doing partial loads of laundry, wait until you have a full load to turn on the washing machine.

And you know what? The voluntary effort has worked. Fewer lawns are being watered. Some automobiles are staying dusty. It's surprising how saving a little bit at each home or business adds up.

Because of the willingness of Cape Girardeans to watch how much water they use, the city hasn't had to put into effect any mandatory water restrictions.

Residents are to be commended for taking the water situation seriously and cutting back. It's too bad some folks have left their sprinkler systems on full blast in the early morning hours. With the high temperatures of July and August, though, all that watering hasn't made many lawns look that much better than their dry neighbors.

The seriousness of the water situation is compounded by the fact that large amounts of water might be required in an emergency, say a large fire. Two structure fires recently cut into the reserves. A major fire would use up a lot of the reserves.

So far, the city has been able to meet the water demands of its use-conscious residents. For that, everyone can be thankful.