Tribune editorial board

Is the toilet bowl half filled or half empty? OK, that can be construed as a disgusting twist on the proverbial partially filled glass of water, but bear with us for a minute.

We're talking about sewage service. It's one of those things, like garbage collection and running water, that we often take for granted so long as it is working OK.

And, also like running water and garbage collection, sewage service can be a costly endeavor to supply.

And the City of Ironton has been supplying that service in the red, that is the agency is bringing in less than it is spending. Currently the department is spending more than $120,000 more each year than it generates in revenue. At that rate, the department will be broke by next year.

Obviously the City of Ironton is facing a significant financial crisis if something isn't done quickly.

The city is considering increasing sewer rates $1.45 per thousand gallons over the next three years.

As much as it may seem to hurt our pocketbooks, it is the best option. The city needs to get righted again if it ever plans to truly soar into the future.

What person in their right mind would want to relocate to a city that cannot keep its sewage system financially solvent?

Unfortunately environmental regulations will soon make another sewer rate adjustment necessary.

The future one will involve a long-term plan to fix our current system that allows too much sewage to be released into the Ohio River during heavy rain periods.

Both rate adjustments may be a bit of a pinch for some residents, but both adjustments are necessary.

The first one is just to make sure the department can keep afloat. The second is necessary to protect our world environment for future generations.

And when you look at it that way, the glass is obviously half full and the slight increase is much easier to swallow, err, flush.