Words of wisdom, still.
You can more easily live without power than water. You’re right though, to run a water plant that serves a community, you need power.
I worked for a utilities plant for a long time, providing both power and water. The power part was a lot more interesting, but the water part, I always thought was much more crucial. You have to provide your customers with potable water. You have a gazillion tests you have to run on the water every year, and even something as (relatively) minor as a positive coliform test always worried the heck out of me (always tested negative for e coli, thank goodness).
Mine was a groundwater system-deep rock wells, averaging about 400 ft below ground and in a well-confined aquifer. Another major concern was wellhead protection-making sure your groundwater within your pumping zone remained uncontaminated.
Being retired is a big relief. But it’s still ingrained in me how important it is to have safe drinking water.