It has been eight years in the making, but construction is under way on the Coosa Valley Water Supply District’s water treatment facility.

The district, which will initially serve the county, Pell City, Springville and Odenville, is the result of regionalism at its best.

Officials representing different constituencies, located across different border lines, had a common need: water. So they banded together to form a regional water system that could serve all of their constituencies’ needs and beyond for a long time to come.

They didn’t wait until the need was dire. They envisioned what their county and what their communities would look like in the years ahead for the fastest growing county in the state, and they went to work to fill needs before they emerged.

Eight years later, their dream is paying off. Construction began this past week on the water treatment plant en route to a bountiful supply of water for the future.

That’s what we call wise planning. It’s also what we call good work, and we thank officials for their vision and their perseverance.