Last week's Island-wide power cut, along with this year's water crisis, has to give added fuel to debate about whether Bermuda's infrastructure is being stretched to breaking point. It would be wrong to state that there is a definitive link between the heavy development that has taken place since 2001 and the two events.

A fire could have occurred at Belco (which is a relatively small power plant in global terms) at any time, with a similar result. And it's not as if Bermuda has never had a drought before this year. Still, Bermuda has changed more than many residents would like to think.

Clearly, Hamilton's role in the economy is vital. When power has been lost in hurricanes, Hamilton has rarely been affected since hurricanes tend to damage poles and lines, and much of Hamilton's power supply is trenched. That means that people can go to work and earn money even if they have no power at home.

The fire destroyed Belco's ability to supply Hamilton with electricity, and while much of the Island got electricity back within 24 hours of Thursday's blaze, Hamilton was not scheduled to be fully restored until today.

But the cost to the community is much higher; with the vast majority of people unable to work for at least two days, millions of dollars in business will have been lost. And most employers will have done the right thing and still paid their staffs.

So this has been expensive, and more so than when the Island had more hotels scattered around the Island and less of the Island's economy was centred on Hamilton.

The drought, which has at least been alleviated this weekend, also illustrates the way Bermuda has changed. While there was virtually no rain in June or in the first two weeks of July, Bermuda had above average rain in January through April and only slightly less rain than usual in May.

And yet, within weeks of the rain stopping, people were facing weeks-long waits for water. A full investigation is needed to determine why the Island became so short of water so quickly.

Reports that the Fairmont Southampton's reverse osmosis plant broke down early on, requiring massive shipments of fresh water, and that water tankers were being employed filling swimming pools must have contributed.

But the vast increase in housing that has occurred in recent years is also a contributing factor, just as it contributes to the general strain that is bring placed on the Island's electricity supply. Indeed, high lifestyle expectations may be placing demands on the Island's infrastructure that it cannot handle.

A case in point was the ability of people to communicate by phone on Thursday. Even though the basic telephone network was unaffected by the power cuts, most people now have phones that require electricity. Without power, people turned to their cell phones, overwhelming the providers' networks.

Similarly, one reason for the traffic jams and near riots at gas stations on Thursday was due to the fact that only those stations with pumps that did not require electricity to operate were open. All of this will be food for thought for the team compiling the sustainable development report and then for the subsequent discussions on the issue.

Belco can keep building power houses and can install additional redundancy for the system. More reverse osmosis plants can be built to provide fresh water if house roofs and the underground lens cannot keep up with demand. Bigger buildings can be constructed. Roads can be widened to accommodate even bigger cars and trucks.

What the community needs to decide is whether this is the Bermuda it wants and to consider what will be lost as a result. It's worth considering that the Island's increased sophistication makes the Island more, not less, vulnerable to things like power cuts, droughts and the like.