Imagine how silly Noah must have looked to his neighbors as he built that giant ark in the middle of so much dry ground.

Flood?

What flood?

“Noah, you are so foolish, spending all this time and resources and money on a giant ark when there's not a place to sail it and even if there were a lake or sea your ark is way too big to carry it there.”

Noah would have explained, “I am planning for the days ahead, to survive and prosper in the future. I'm preparing for the devastating flood.”

My, oh my, how the people must have laughed at Noah's crazy way of thinking.

“Flood? Flood? Flood?” hooted one man.

“There's not a cloud in the sky. Hasn't been for weeks. There is no need for an ark,” shouted another.

“We've got plenty of dry ground to absorb any amount of rain,” clamored a third.

“Besides, we haven't really had a devastating flood in years,” noted a fourth. “And there are dams around to keep any flood in check. We'll be fine. Don't worry. Be happy.”

Noah, of course, laughed best because he laughed last-if he laughed at all.

Nobody was laughing at Noah when The Flood came.

Droughts are like floods, just in reverse.

The devastating absence of rain, rather than its devastating presence.

A catastrophic drought can put the land at risk, and all the creatures and people living and working upon it.

Quite simply, the Sandy River Reservoir is our Ark.

Not to preserve us from The Flood.

But to preserve us from The Drought.

Fortunately, there are people who see the reservoir as the life preserver that it is.

As the blessing this community has been graced to receive.

Heaven-sent? The answer to all those drought-prompted prayers each summer? The Sandy River Reservoir can surely have that everlasting effect.

But this Ark must be built to completion and that means the facilities to use the water in the reservoir as drinking water.

Some consider constructing a water treatment plant at the reservoir to be the best answer, with waterlines reaching out to various places in the community, and the region, including Nottoway-where many Prince Edward residents work each day-and also as a potential emergency life-line for Farmville, which is Prince Edward County's economic linchpin and its heart and soul.

Others believe the best solution is a pipeline built from the reservoir directly to the Town of Farmville's water treatment plant, to serve the community of Farmville and Prince Edward and its growth, reaching out from those facilities, expanding them when needed.

And, yes, there are folks who think everything's fine just the way it is-don't build a water treatment plant and water lines, and don't build a pipeline to Farmville.

Everybody is very sincere in their own personal opinions and beliefs. There aren't any “bad guys” in this story.

But suppose Noah had been told by God that his community was going to be devastated by The Drought, rather than The Flood.

And suppose he had listened to the people telling him, 'Noah, man, don't spend all that time and money just so we can drink the water from the reservoir. We've got all the water we need now in the wells, the creeks and the rivers. They'll do, drought or no drought.”

If Noah had listened, put his tools down and walked away to have cup of coffee with the guys, where would we all be now?

-JKW-