Keeping a clean environment can be costly, yet we know that failing to address an issue now can be far more costly in terms of dollars and impact down the road.

That message, however, has become obscured in the ongoing debate over mandatory sewer connections and what, if anything, property owners should be charged for refusing to connect. The concern has become focused on these difficult economic times and whether homeowners can afford what it costs to connect to the system ($1,500 is a good guess) as well as the charges that are based on water usage.

This is a specious argument.

Ask anyone and no one will say they are willing to pay more in fees, especially when they are getting by year-after-year with either a cesspool, which are soon to be outlawed, or a septic system. No one wants to pay more.

The people who want sewers are usually those faced with replacing a failed septic system and with regular pumping charges and the prospect of installing a new septic system at prices that can top $20,000. At that rate, sewers are a bargain and an everlasting solution.

That is surely an explanation as to why about 40 percent of those property owners who are connect-capable have elected not to do so even though they have shared in the cost of bringing sewers to their neighborhood through assessment charges. In essence they have a ready-made backup should their septic system fail – dig a trench to the sewer line and connect.

By not connecting, however, two things are happening.

- They are not contributing to Warwick Sewer Authority operational revenues that are needed to maintain a system with a capacity designed to cover all connect-capable property owners. This means those that are connected are paying so those who haven’t can do so when they get in a jam.

- Even though their septic systems may not be bubbling over, those choosing not to connect to sewers are contributing to seepage that in all probability finds its way to Narragansett Bay or Greenwich Bay. Both bays have witnessed marked improvement in water quality in recent years, which is attributed to wastewater treatment improvements and greater numbers of properties with sewers here and elsewhere. It could be even better with more homes tied into the sewers.

On Dec. 16 the City Council will consider the Warwick Sewer Authority’s proposal that connect-capable property owners be charged what they could expect to pay in operational costs. This may seem extreme, especially for families faced by budget constraints or having recently upgraded their septic systems.

Nonetheless, we believe some form of universal connect-capable fee is fair. It’s an investment to ensure we have a reliable, effective system and one in the environment.