August 14, 2002
Lee County firefighters go door to door passing out flyers in the North Hampton subdivision off Lover's Lane, letting some very thirsty homeowners know where they can get water. This after some 50 wells went dry overnight.
"Can't do anything about restoring water," Joe Pollock, Lee County EMA Director, said. "But at least we can make water available to them."
That water a 5,500 gallon tanker located at Lee County's fire station headquarters. The tank brought over from Worth County where wells went dry last month, both qualifying as emergency situations.
"When lose well, you don't have drinking water, or water to bathe in or cook with." Pollock
Mel Jones, District Health Director said "We want to make sure from public health standpoint have drinking water for people who had wells affected."
So people who come to the tanker with their own containers to collect the water are being asked to boil that water until health workers get bacteria and chlorine test results back.
Most will be without water until they get their wells dug deeper and pumps lowered. As for how long until another community goes dry, Southwest Georgia's District Health director says it will probably be soon, unless private well users start watching their water use.
"Been in drought 4 years, tried to encourage folks to conserve water, still good advice," Jones said.
Things like the even-odd watering system, though not law for well users, but a possible way to help conserve neighborhoods' very valuable natural resource.
District Health passed its well water conservation resolution two years ago.
Dry wells have also been scattered throughout Lee County the past few weeks. If it's more convenient, you can also go to the fire station being built on the Leslie Highway to get water out of a smaller tanker.
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