After declaring a state of emergency Friday, Governor Andy Beshear met with Marion officials Wednesday afternoon and toured Lake George and the Old City Lake to get a firsthand view of the water supply crisis.
During his Team Kentucky update Thursday, the governor talked about his visit to Marion and gave some background regarding some of the factors that led to the water supply crisis.
click to download audioOn top of that, Beshear added the city has received limited rainfall, unusually warm weather, and an initial plan to address the issue that did not work as local officials had hoped. He added officials in Marion are working hard to address the problem and do everything they can to provide water to their residents.
On Friday, June 18, Governor Beshear declared a state of emergency for the City of Marion in order to provide any state resources needed to help with the water crisis.
click to download audioIn addition, the governor said the National Guard’s vehicles will be used to transport water to a secondary reservoir.
During his visit to Marion Wednesday, Beshear said he met with Mayor Jared Byford, City Administrator Adam Ledford and other officials and looked at both lakes and other options to help replenish the water supply.
click to download audioHe ensured the residents of Marion they are working to try to find solutions to address this issue.
click to download audio
The distribution of bottled water began Thursday morning for those residents whose last name begins with the first letter A – G. On Friday water will be distributed for last names H-L, then M-R on Monday, June 27, and S-Z on Tuesday, June 28. The water will be distributed at the old National Guard Armory located at 131 Rochester Avenue in Marion.
Marion officials said earlier this week the city currently has a 19-to-20-day supply of water, with no significant rain expected for the next 10 days. To address the water supply crisis, the city is operating under Stage 3 emergency procedures to limit water usage to necessary activities of daily living such as personal hygiene, washing laundry, cooking, etc., and to avoid unnecessary water usage such as watering lawns, washing vehicles, and filling swimming pools.
