APPALACHIA, Va. – Mandatory conservation measures, a little rain at times and thousands of gallons of water pumped from the Powell River have this Wise County, Va., town slowly improving its dwindling reservoir level.
"Actually, we have gained water," said town manager Fred Luntsford on Wednesday. "Our usage has declined since we went into the emergency situation, and we are continuing to hold steadily."
The town has been in an emergency water situation since late November after severe drought conditions had the town’s reservoir hovering below the 60-day supply. Appalachia’s 1,230 water customers, both residential and businesses were told to cut back on water usage.
Residential customers who used more than 4,000 gallons per month must pay an additional $5 per 1,000 gallons used during the mandatory water emergency. Business customers were told to cut water usage by 20 percent.
The lack of rain gave the town few options so officials turned to the Powell River.
"We started pumping water on the sixth of December," Luntsford said.
The town can draw 350 gallons per minute from the Powell.
"Our usage is less than what we’re pumping," the town manager said.
The supplemental river water and a few days of steady rain has Appalachia’s reservoir retaining more water than it expends, Luntsford said.
"We’re not down as far," the town manager said. "We were down 16 feet and five inches today. We’re still below the 60-day water mark. We’re not in trouble, but we’re still in a water emergency."
The two month-supply triggered the emergency conservation measures.
Appalachia had a 53-day supply in its reservoir as of Wednesday.
"We are gaining," Luntsford said.
Appalachia leaders are encouraged by weather predictions that indicate the nation’s drought situation could ease come January.
Appalachia water customers are using between 350,000 to 400,000 gallons of water daily. The town is pumping between 450,000 to 500,000 gallons of water from the Powell River each day, Luntsford said.
Town residents and local businesses are cooperating and taking the water situation seriously, Luntsford said. The town’s only coin-operated car wash was closed when the emergency was declared. However, town leaders were able to allow the car wash to open on weekends when the supply improved, Luntsford said.
Appalachia is not alone in its water situation. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management lists 31 localities in Virginia that have implemented voluntary water conservation efforts – 29 localities that are in mandatory conservation mode.
kstill@bristolnews.com | (276) 679-1338
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