While rainfall over the weekend was a welcome relief for farmers and residents of western Kentucky, it didn’t do much to help the water crisis facing residents of Marion and Crittenden County.
Marion Mayor Jared Byford said the Crittenden County Mesonet weather station recorded nearly an inch of rain Saturday but the Marion Water Plant near the City Lake Watershed only got a tenth of an inch.
Some progress in increasing water capacity for residents of Marion was made at the end of last week.
Byford said The Crittenden-Livingston Water District is now able to supply 180,000 gallons per day, which is nearly half of the city’s usual daily usage.
The state has helped Marion officials locate and repair three leaks on Thursday that will help in the water conservation effort.
There are six engineering firms working in some capacity to support the city in immediate and long-term solutions.
Bell Engineering is working with the City of Marion, officials with Caldwell County and Princeton, and the Crittenden-Livingston Water Systems to provide additional alternative water supply options.
Last week, the state entered into a contract with the agricultural community to use their water tankers to help in transferring water from the Tradewater River and pumping that water into the Old City Lake to help alleviate evaporation and try and raise the lake level.
Last Wednesday, P&H Farms in Eddyville spilled in nearly 105,000 gallons. They are also working with the Kentucky National Guard who is also using their military tankers in transferring the water.
A bottled water distribution schedule for Marion residents for this week is on the city’s website.
Old City Lake serves as Marion’s raw water source. According to City Administrator Adam Ledford, the city uses 425,000 to 450,000 gallons of potable water on weekdays and 350,000 gallons a day on the weekend. That number would likely increase dramatically once school returns to session next month if the shortage continues into August.
Marion Mayor Jared Byford said the Crittenden County Mesonet weather station recorded nearly an inch of rain Saturday but the Marion Water Plant near the City Lake Watershed only got a tenth of an inch.
Some progress in increasing water capacity for residents of Marion was made at the end of last week.
Byford said The Crittenden-Livingston Water District is now able to supply 180,000 gallons per day, which is nearly half of the city’s usual daily usage.
The state has helped Marion officials locate and repair three leaks on Thursday that will help in the water conservation effort.
There are six engineering firms working in some capacity to support the city in immediate and long-term solutions.
Bell Engineering is working with the City of Marion, officials with Caldwell County and Princeton, and the Crittenden-Livingston Water Systems to provide additional alternative water supply options.
Last week, the state entered into a contract with the agricultural community to use their water tankers to help in transferring water from the Tradewater River and pumping that water into the Old City Lake to help alleviate evaporation and try and raise the lake level.
Last Wednesday, P&H Farms in Eddyville spilled in nearly 105,000 gallons. They are also working with the Kentucky National Guard who is also using their military tankers in transferring the water.
A bottled water distribution schedule for Marion residents for this week is on the city’s website.
Old City Lake serves as Marion’s raw water source. According to City Administrator Adam Ledford, the city uses 425,000 to 450,000 gallons of potable water on weekdays and 350,000 gallons a day on the weekend. That number would likely increase dramatically once school returns to session next month if the shortage continues into August.
