Liberty Mayor Dr. Sam Haddad asked all county residents to think about water used, and to make a concerted effort to minimize waste.
In a Jan. 8 Liberty City Council Meeting, Haddad said that Lake Liberty, the only water source for many of the 16,000 people in Casey County, was declining at a rate of five-eighths of an inch every day. It had already dropped by 12 feet and 7 inches from full. He said that Liberty Water Works employee Neil Grider estimated that there was approximately 210 days, or seven months, left of water.
Although the water was not in a crisis situation, he said that work could be done to prevent moving toward that stage.
“We are not in critical condition, but we are in a very serious condition, and we are asking for citizens of the community, the county and the city, and every good citizen to be careful and cut down on waste and every unnecessary (activity) requiring an excessive amount of water that can be postponed,” he said. “We ask everybody, basically, that the minute you turn a faucet on to be self-conscious and aware of the situation, how serious it is. Think of how to get things done with the least amount of water, basically.”
If the water level continues its decline, a lower-level water intake could be opened.
Haddad said that the county uses 1.3 million gallons of water from Lake Liberty every day, and he hoped that by being water-conscious that number could decline to 1 million per day. He said that the city sells 700,000 gallons per day to East Casey County Water District, and that their users should also conserve water.
The area continues, as of Jan. 9, to be in severe drought. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the entire state of Kentucky, except the farthest eastern portion, is in drought. However, recent rains did raise the level of Lake Liberty by 12 inches, Operations Manager Allen Sparr reported on Jan. 10. More rain and snow was on its way.
Yet, the resulting precipitation will not be enough to pull the region out of drought. In a seasonal outlook issued in December, the U.S. Drought Monitor expects the drought to linger and not improve through at least the end of March.
At the city council meeting, Carmela Clark, who has lived near Lake Liberty for 12 years, and has visited it throughout her life, said that she believed it was never this low before. She questioned the city’s estimate of days remaining before the source is completely depleted.
Haddad said that he was relying on Grider’s expertise, and that the 210 days was an estimate, not an exact calculation.
Clark asked if the city had a contingency plan if the situation deteriorates. Haddad said that the city did, but he did not want to elaborate on the plan.
“We’ll talk about it at the right time,” he said.
Nicki Johnson, Liberty-Casey County Chamber of Commerce director, said that she was fielding questions about county residents that have the ability to move to other sources of water, like wells or springs. She asked if the city was encouraging county users to rely more on those other sources.
Haddad said that, for now, the city was simply asking all water users, whether they live in the county or the city, to be mindful when using water.
He announced that as far as a long-term solution, the city had employed an engineering firm to conduct a feasibility study to dam Moccasin Creek and create a second lake. He said that there would be information to discuss, related to topographic information, at the next city council meeting.
Haddad also announced that Lake Liberty would be closed to vehicle traffic while the water level is low for safety reasons. Two weeks ago, a Jeep drove down to the water’s edge and became stuck in the lakebed. A tow truck also became stuck before a third vehicle pulled them both out.
A gate is locked on Lake Liberty Drive. Those looking to visit Lake Liberty must park at the water plant entrance and walk to it.
The next Liberty City Council meeting would be held on Feb. 12 at 5 p.m. in Liberty City Hall.
