National Guard hopes to haul water to Marion from rivers

City officials in Marion said on Monday they are working on a plan to utilize a National Guard convoy to haul truckloads of water from the Ohio and Cumberland Rivers to battle their ongoing water crisis.

In a press release, the city revealed that the convoy plan is pending results of water samples to determine if any harmful chemicals might be in the river. If necessary, the Kentucky Division of Water has pledged assistance to resolve potential river water quality issues.

Meanwhile, officials recently met to coordinate with the Guard and emergency management along with city and county personnel to begin distributing water to Marion residents and businesses. The city has been stockpiling bottles of water since shortly after Lake George was drained, and distribution could begin as soon as Thursday.

The current estimate as of Monday is that Marion has a 19-to-20 day supply of raw water. That's an improvement from last week's estimate of 8 to 10 days, thanks to rain last Friday and recent connections to neighboring water districts. However, the additional connections can only provide a fraction of the city's daily needs, and there's little rain in the forecast.

The city's emergency conservation measures are still at Stage 3, the strictest limits on watering lawns, washing vehicles and filling swimming pools.


Here's the complete text of the press release issued by the City of Marion on Monday:

Today city officials met with the Division of Water and the National Guard to discuss more viable options for alleviating the City of Marion’s water crisis. Currently the city has a 19-to-20-day supply of water, with no significant rain expected in the forest for the next 10 days.

 Because of this, Stage 3 emergency procedures remain in effect, and we ask that you continue to limit your 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. Further information on Stage 3 procedures and how to help conserve water can be found on the City of Marion’s Facebook page, and at the Crittenden Press, the public library, and the Extension Office. 

The National Guard plans to coordinate a convoy for water hauling from the Ohio and/or Cumberland rivers to City Lake to further support the City’s water supply, pending chemistry results of water samples from these locations. Should any issues arise with chemistry, the Division of Water is prepared to assist in their resolution. The Transportation Cabinet will also assist with preparations of City Lake. Information regarding water sample testing and the water hauling convoy should be available later this week.  

We will release this to the public as soon as it is available. In addition, we continue to expect partial water needs to be met by Crittenden-Livingston, Webster and Caldwell Counties. Efforts are ongoing to resolve gravitational flow issues to allow the Webster County production project to provide support.       
 
Further meetings are planned tomorrow to coordinate with regional water supply partners to discuss additional efforts. The National Guard, Emergency Management, County, and City will be coordinating a water distribution program to begin operation as early as Thursday this week. We will release full details regarding this distribution tomorrow.  We appreciate your continued patience and cooperation.  We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.




Army National Guard soldiers fill a water truck compatible with 2,000-gallon water tank racks known as 'Hippos.' The trucks are frequently used to deliver clean water to communities facing water shortages or contamination. (National Guard Photo by Sgt. 1st Class April Davis, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)