To the editor:

Today, Oct. 12, is the second day of draining one of the green reservoir tanks on Oread Avenue. I asked a worker why a tanker truck could not have been brought and filled to haul the water away and used to water parks, downtown plantings, anything for that matter. I was told it was too expensive.

How much did the hundreds of thousands of gallons of treated water cost? Who was not smart enough at City Hall to not let the tank get filled as much, knowing it would be drained? Mr. Mayor, Mr. City Manager Corliss and city commissioners, you have no one in charge to make sound sensible decisions.

You want to charge Alvamar for water they used, but the City of Lawrence is throwing water into the storm sewer from this tank? Who is paying for that? Of course, the locals and the salaries of those who have made not very sensible decisions. Why does it take three employees to watch two employees turn a valve? Cost? Those five most likely translates to $150 an hour at minimum with wages and benefits.

This waste of manpower and resources is indicative of why the City Commission is not leading. Can the locals who pay the water bills get an estimate from the city auditor of the cost of the treated water that went to the storm sewer and the manpower involved?