Some Families Running Out Of Water

People in the Little Milligan area of Carter County fear the drought is, once again, rearing its ugly head.

“Usually…it’s double this size,“ resident J.R. Campbell said as he stood next to the spring where dozens of people get their water. “That’s the reason we’re crying wolf again this early in the summer. Here it is! If you come down here with a 200 gallon tank, it’s 40 minutes.“

Numerous families in Little Milligan don’t have water. They rely on wells. Wells like Sue Smith’s have dried up.

“Well…there’s not anybody who wants to buy a place without water on it,“ she said.

Smith has been trying to sell her house. Her well water came back in the spring. But it’s dried up once again.

“It’s very frustrating. When you want to do your laundry, or you want to do your dishes, or you just want to clean something…like our house needs to be washed down. Well: you can’t use water to wash down your house.“

The Watauga Regional Water Authority was established to get water to communities like Little Milligan. But some communities didn’t think the surcharges were fair for their customers. Elizabethton, Hampton, and First Utility (Stoney Creek) pulled out.

Watauga Regional Water Authority Director said, now, it’s just a matter of time before they can start digging a well near Watauga Lake. But well-drillers are backed up because of the drought in the southeast.

Once the authority starts the project, it should take about 18 months to complete.