EDITORIAL: Westward the tide for Hammond?

Hammond is smart to look into selling water to more Chicago suburbs in the face of Chicago's proposed water rate increases.

Those suburbs should have a choice in who supplies them water. It's from the same source, after all, whether it comes from Hammond or Chicago.

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said recently that Hammond is considering privatizing its water utility or selling to additional Illinois communities. Either would generate millions of dollars for the city.

Hammond has plenty of capacity, too. Its official intake capacity is 76 million gallons per day, yet the city averaged 35 million to 36 million per day in withdrawals in 2009 and 2010, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

In serving additional municipalities with all or part of the extra 40 million gallons a day Hammond could draw from Lake Michigan, the city must be mindful of where the continental divide lies. The same applies if the city plans to increase its intake capacity.

The Great Lakes Compact signed by all the states and Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin puts strict procedures in place for either drawing additional water from the Great Lakes or sending lake water outside the watershed.

That's true whether it's Chicago, Hammond or anyone else supplying the water.

The Illinois municipalities to which Hammond might sell the water need to consider their options carefully, too. New wells can be expensive and might not provide the best quality water. But relying on another community or a private utility means being subject to potential water rate increases in the future after investing heavily in bringing that water to the community.

Still, if it's a choice between Chicago or Hammond, those communities would do well to pursue long-term contracts that lock in rates for years to come.

If it helps those municipalities and Hammond customers as well, and if all environmental regulations are met, by all means Hammond should seek permission to expand the customer base.

But be mindful of the continental divide and the concern about selling Lake Michigan water outside the Great Lakes watershed.