Water is an incredibly pervasive element of day-to-day life. People shower in, cook and drink the water that comes out of their taps. One of the fundamental roles of local government is to provide residents of a town clean, safe drinking water.

The Orono/Veazie Water District has recently run into public backlash over levels of trihalomethane, a carcinogen created when organic particulates found in pipes react with chlorine used as a treating agent, in the water it dispenses to residents.

Only a few years ago, in 2011, the trihalomethane levels were above the maximum level.

Now, tests show they are around 76 parts per billion, which is just below what is considered “safe.”

Any time consumers pay for a good or service, they have a right to demand excellence in their product. Utilities are a government-sanctioned monopoly, and taxpayers have little choice in the selection of the company that provides things like water or heat. When choice is limited, performance becomes incredibly important.

However, though utilities benefit from not having competition, they still have to go through the same business practices as other less sheltered industries. This means enacting change requires time in order to ensure it is executed properly. If a job is rushed, shoddy workmanship may result in the task having to be redone, which raises cost and potentially endangers consumers.

So, while residents certainly have a right to voice their unhappiness with the quality of water they’re being provided, they should also consider the myriad risks the Orono/Veazie Water Board has to consider when attempting to come up with a solution.

The trihalomethane levels, which some residents complain are still too high, are influenced by the levels of chlorine used to treat the water. Without chlorine, the water would be far more contaminated and unsafe. With too much chlorine, the health risks are also great. And it’s hardly possible to remove organic material from pipes. So, the water department has to be careful about over or under-correcting. A step too far in either direction could have fatal consequences.

Since the pipes are old, and some argue that the rust in them is contributing to poor water quality, one option is to replace the pipes. This could be incredibly expensive and disruptive to service. The board is also considering digging a new well. However, depending upon the location, this has a possible cost of $5 million. That’s quite a hefty sum of money.

If the board were to rush through the decision of placing and digging a well in an effort to quickly appease public sentiment, it’s possible they might not pick the best location and run into further problems. This would be a waste of a lot of taxpayer money, and that would inevitably anger just as many people — and for good reason.

So, those who are unhappy with the quality of water they’re receiving from the Orono/Veazie Water Board, since they pay for utility service, have a right to be secure in the knowledge that they are drinking safe water. But, they should also remember that the board is under a lot of pressure. If they make the wrong decision, they will be accountable to even greater outrage.