Decatur City Council apparently delayed a major water agreement with Limestone County this week to do the math.

Decatur’s water treatment plant can produce 68 million gallons. The Limestone County Water and Sewer Authority has daily rights to 2 million gallons and the agreement would increase the draw up to 10 million gallons.

The Decatur plant is averaging 30 million gallons of potable water a day, which includes what it is selling to Limestone County, Hartselle Utilities, the Northeast Morgan Water Authority and the West Morgan-East Lawrence Water Authority.

Signing the contract should leave Decatur with more than 30 million gallons of extra capacity.

The Decatur Utilities Board approved the deal and sent it to the council for ratification.

Council members apparently are taking the long view. Selling the water now is no problem but it might be trouble 25 to 30 years down the road, especially if the world is in a major climate change.

District 4 Councilman Ronny Russell said he wants to talk to a DU board member before approving the contract. Council President Billy Jackson said that council members simply want time to review the agreement.

Limestone has options that include building a treatment plant on the Elk River or helping Decatur expand its plant if that time comes, but buying from Decatur seems like a good deal for both sides — right now.

Luckily, living along the Tennessee River gives Decatur and its neighbors a steady source of water. Treatment plants, however, are expensive and can’t be built quickly enough to resolve acute shortages.

Too, Decatur council members must be sensitive to what is going on around us. Madison has problems, as does Cullman, which supplies some of eastern Morgan County.

Slowing the process might serve to moderate criticism from a fearful public about Decatur’s water supply even though DU says the new agreement is a good deal.

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