BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Martin County has declared a state of emergency due to ongoing widespread water outages in the county.
Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty declared the emergency Friday evening following days of frigid weather that ruptured a 14-inch main line near the water treatment plant on Turkey Creek, emptying the plant’s clear wells and forcing management to shut down the plant Dec. 26.
Since the initial water line break, leaks and broken lines have continued to upend the distribution system, leaving county residents with no water service.
“This situation has created a considerable hardship and health concerns for our citizens,” Lafferty said in a news conference Friday. “Therefore, I am declaring a local state of emergency, which will help us receive much-needed resources to assist us in distributing the needed water throughout the county while repairs are being made by the water company.”
The judge relayed the latest update Friday from Martin County Water District.
“I am told that presently the Marcus Wells tank area, which includes Old Route 3, Tomahawk, Buffalo Horn and Yellow Creek, should have their water turned back on this evening but on an intermittent basis only,” said Lafferty. “The latest update for water restoration in the areas of Lovely, Beauty, Warfield, Hode, Big Elk and Meathouse is quote/unquote ‘within 24 hours.’”
Martin County Emergency Management had distributed 18 pallets of bottled water to residents before the judge declared the emergency.
“This was water we had stockpiled for just such an event, but those supplies are now running low,” said Lafferty. “The limited supply of water that we have we are planning to give out this evening. Steps are being taken to access additional necessary resources.”
The county handed out 16 pallets Friday night and Saturday morning at locations in Warfield, Pigeon Roost and Buffalo Horn, which depleted the supply.
“I know this week has been very trying for all of us,” said Lafferty. “I appreciate your patience and ask for your continued prayers as we work through this latest water crisis.”
Alliance Water Resources crews have spent the last six days working to identify leaks draining water towers faster than the plant can refill them. Unable to keep up, Martin County Water District cut off service from Inez Hill to Tomahawk and Milo and from Buck Creek Hill to the Pike County line, Hode, Route 2032 to the Pike County line at Big Branch, Pigeon Roost, North Wolf Creek and parts of South Wolf Creek.
The water district handed out 2 gallons of water per family on Friday at the Collier Center in Inez.
On Saturday afternoon, AWR announced crews would be working on Blacklog, Milo and Turkey Creek, and customers could experience intermittent outages as they cut valves and looked for leaks.
“We are hoping to open the tank at Buck Creek to the Beauty, Warfield and Lovely areas within the next couple of hours,” the announcement stated.
A countywide boil water advisory is in effect in Martin County.