Lincoln officials working to secure second water source

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird has begun a project to help Lincoln secure a second source of water to fulfill future demands.

Baird announced the new project, called Water 2.0: Securing Lincoln’s Second Source, on Tuesday.

She has formed the Mayor’s Water Source Advisory Council, a group comprising community and business leaders who will advise the city on where to secure a second source of water.

Right now, Lincoln has enough water supply to last for the next 26 years.

But Gaylor Baird said planning must be done to ensure that the Lincoln Water System has the capacity to meet the demands of a growing city.

“This effort will be the largest and singularly most important public works project for Lincoln’s growth, health, and vitality into the future,” Gaylor Baird said in a press release. “Identifying and securing a second source of water will strengthen our economic and environmental resilience for decades to come.”

Susan Seacrest, founder and former president of the Nebraska Groundwater Foundation, will be the chair of the council.

“We have an important legacy of care in Lincoln; for our shared stories, for children and youth, and for the precious natural resources, like water, that nurture and protect,” Seacrest said in the press release. “Together, along with many experts, we will study, collaborate, and innovate, using the technology, expertise, and state-of-the art science we need to move forward. Working together, we can and will understand and appreciate our water, commit to its protection, and safeguard it for our children.”

State Sen. Eliot Bostar, Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Director Liz Elliott, and City Councilman Tom Beckius will serve in leadership roles on the council.

More information on the project can be found at lincoln.ne.gov/water.