MARION, Ky. (WEHT) Marion, Kentucky residents continue conserving and picking up more bottled water as city officials say the town’s water supply at a backup lake keeps dwindling.
For the second straight week, residents are coming to the Kentucky National Guard Armory building to pick up cases of water to take back home. Meanwhile, a solution is still sought for the city’s water shortage.
“it’s been crazy. It really has,” said KatIe Conner, who was picking up more water at the armory Thursday afternoon.
Some residents were back at the armory after for another shipment and starting to conserve more at home.
“I’ve been trying to cut back on my washing cycles, my cooking supplies,” said Amanda Harper of Marion.
“No pools outside. That’s what our kids hate about it because we like playing in the pool together,” added Conner.
City Administrator Adam Ledford said a recent reevaluation of the city’s current supply puts it at eight days worth of water. He says Crittenden-Livingston County Water District is doubling what they’re supplying from 25 gallons a minute to 50 gallons a minute and the national guard is bringing water in from other sources. Forecasted rain for the area may also help.
“We would need at least an inch-and-a-half to two inches to really see it fully replenish. Even as little as a half-inch to an inch makes a big difference,” Ledford explained.
Other options include bringing water from Caldwell County, Sturgis and from an aquifer underneath a nearby mine. As for Lake George, the city’s main water source that was drained after the levy started failing, Ledford said they have the go ahead to remove the rest of water in lake and move it to city lake. Engineers are looking at trying to reuse the lake, but it may be smaller.
“We can’t put pressure on the lake. It would be a quite diminished water supply, but it has a very viable option for us as well,” he said.
(This story was originally published on June 30, 2022)