Marion faces ongoing water crisis, came within 10 days of running dry. What we know

Too little rainfall combined with a disastrous breach of the levee on Lake George, the main water reservoir in Marion, has left residents there with strict water-use limits and put the small, western Kentucky town within days of running dry.

So how did the Marion’s water crisis evolve, and what’s been done about it now? Here’s what we know about the situation.

Why is Marion’s water supply running so low in the first place?

The crisis centers on Lake George, the main water reservoir Marion’s residents and businesses depend on.

The first signs of a problem came in late April, when the Crittenden Press reported emergency management personnel were monitoring a leak on the levee at the lake. A day later, April 30, news broke the levee would need to be drained.

Little to no rainfall and hot temperatures magnified the problem, so much so that by July, the town was reportedly within 10 days of running out of water completely, according to multiple media reports.

Crittenden County as a whole has close to 9,000 residents, according to 2020 U.S. Census data.

Officials with the town, county and Kentucky Emergency Management did not immediately respond Wednesday to requests for comment on the ongoing crisis.

Marion issues boil water advisory to residents Thursday

Thursday, residents were asked to start boiling their drinking water, KFVS 12 reported.

Quoting City Administrator Adam Ledford, the advisory is due in part to high temperatures that are causing the water system’s chlorine levels to dissipate faster than usual.

“The boil water advisory is partly due to the high temperatures,” Ledford said, according to KFVS 12. “Oddly, it is also due to the conservation efforts undertaken by our water customers.”

Because users are trying to conserve water by cutting back, that has reduced flow through the system and the chlorine levels at its fringes, KFVS 12 reported.

The advisory was issued after a test conducted Wednesday by the Kentucky Division of Water.

What are government officials doing about the water crisis?

On June 18, acting on a request from Marion’s city government, Gov. Andy Beshear issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency for Marion and Crittenden County due to the water shortage.

With the state of emergency in place, Kentucky Emergency Management was able to start mobilizing relief there, along with the state’s National Guard personnel, according to a news release from the governor’s office at the time.

Other cabinets and state agencies are acting under Beshear’s executive order, as well. That includes the energy and environment cabinet, which was tasked with helping the Marion and Crittenden County governments put a pause on nonessential water usage.

The state’s finance and administration cabinet has also been asked to help with resource management and securing goods and or services needed to deal with the drinking water crisis.

“The number one priority of government is to keep our people safe,” Beshear said in the June 18 news release. “Today’s action of declaring a state of emergency for the City of Marion is intended to put into motion all the things we, the state, can do to help alleviate the situation and provide support. My administration is committed to helping the city and all of our Kentucky families who live there.”

What’s the plan to keep the water running going forward?

According to the Crittenden Press, Kentucky Army National Guard personnel have been hauling 50,000 gallons of water a day. Farmers have also come to the rescue by adding 180,000 gallons per day with tractor-trailer tankers that can handle 5,500 gallons per load, more than double what the National Guard’s military vehicles can freight.

Still, that’s only a fraction of the town’s daily water demand, which is about 450,000 gallons on weekdays and only slightly less on weekends, even with nonessential water-use restricted.

According to WPSD, locals are being asked to report alphabetically based on their last name to pick up water, requiring them to show a state driver’s license to collect it.

According to a report by Tom Latek of Kentucky Today, Crittenden County’s director of emergency management said Wednesday construction of a water line from nearby Sturgis to the Crittenden-Livingston Water District is being fast-tracked.

The Crittenden-Livingston Water District had also previously stepped up its service to Marion, according to a July 2 report from the Crittenden Press. The district increased the volume of drinking water it was flowing to Marion’s system to 75 gallons per minute, translating to about 108,000 gallons per day, or nearly a quarter of the Marion’s demand.

Other efforts are also underway, including tapping a local creek for water that can flow into Old City Lake, which currently Marion’s back-up supply of water.

Sandbags are also being placed around the overflow weir at Old City Lake to help it hold more water in case of a heavy rainfall in Marion. Prisoners filled 2,200 sandbags over the last weekend to make that happen, Kentucky Today reported Wednesday.

‘A long way to go’ to fully restore drinking water access

Speaking from Frankfort Thursday as part of his weekly news conference, Beshear addressed the ongoing water crisis in Marion. People there are literally praying for rain, he said, organizing prayer events for relief from the water shortage.

“We have a long way to go. We’ve never seen a water emergency quite like this, but we are making progress,” Beshear told reporters.

Along with outlining the steps that have been taken to date, Beshear said without the controlled breach of the levee, the dam on Lake George would’ve likely burst, taking out the town’s backup water supply at Old City Lake and a few bridges in the area, as well.

“Our top people from the state are on the ground each and every day,” Beshear said.

To date, the Kentucky Army National Guard has been trucking in tankers of water to refill the backup Old City Lake water supply “to try to battle at least evaporation,” Beshear said. Private haulers have begun trucking in drinking water and will take over for the National Guard.

Crews have also dug a channel to connect Crooked Creek to Old City Lake, allowing thousands more gallons of water to flow. Personnel are also making sure there are no other leaks in the water system, he added.

“We’re now working to ensure there are no leaks,” Beshear said. “Every single bit of water is precious for this community of just under 3,000 people.”

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