BSG's Drought Situation

Still looks like next weekend before measureable rainfall. How is things in BSG looking?
I know their talking of how to take care of water for the prison, by trucking in water. I was just wondering how bad the situation was or if it was looking up, any at all?

[centennialdawg]

still not looking good

[imported_SuperX]

yeah it aint lookin' too good for us down here in the gap... i was up at the prison last night, they gave the fire dept. a dinner and a tour, and they told us like you said, they're bringing in tankers of water...and there only flushing there toilets 4 times a day

[Shooter]

13 days of water left. Poor planning on the dam construction. I think they could have built the thing without draining the whole lake in the first place.

[imported_SuperX]

exactly.. they wasted sooo much water when they let all of that just runoff.. plus they sold alot of it too...

what are we gonna do if we run outta big churry? [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img]

[PVVikeFan]

I just wonder what would happen if we had a major fire. There is not enough water to fight one.

And they are talking about taking water out of the Powell River. Have you seen the river lately? Hardly enough water in it to get your feet wet. We need a long steady rain. BIG TIME.

Don't sound good. And i was thinking the same today about the river.
In spots you can walk across the small river bed rocks and you won't get your feet wet.
I was told the town was told they had to keep the lake 5 ft. down from the overflow level this past spring, something about the new lake? If that is the case, that 5 feet is a lot of water.
Sounds like well some poor planning to me. And how will they use the Powell if they even can? A make shift water plant at the river? The Powell is a long ways from Cracker's Neck. And the river in the Neck was fed by Big Cherry. So you know if the Cherry is down that low they can't get water there. Sounds like someone dropped the ball on this.
And i heard that the prison was bringing in water from Pound because the prison there was paying for the water. And the town was gonna let them use the half million gallon storage tank to put the water in.
Man what a mess. Guys i hope things get better. I hope we get a few days of steady rain, maybe it will help end this mess.

Even water use is in the slammer at Wallens Ridge State Prison.

In response to Big Stone Gap's water emergency, the prison - also the town's largest single customer - has taken a number of steps to cut down on consumption including regulating showers and toilet flushes.

Since Sept. 21 water for inmate showers has been available from 6 to 9 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. A Virginia Department of Corrections spokesman said showers are limited to five minutes per inmate. The prison currently houses just under its 1,200-inmate capacity and employs about 400 people.

Water to buildings is also being limited. Sink water will only be available during periods that cell toilets can be flushed. Inmates may not wash any clothes or use any water except for personal hygiene.

Mondays through Fridays, toilet water is turned on at 5 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. so inmates may flush cell toilets. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays the only change to that schedule is 6 a.m. for the initial morning flush time.

Inmate kitchen workers shower in the gym prior to work daily. Paper products have been used in place of trays, etc., for meals. As many drinks as possible - like juice and milk - are being served in individually packaged containers.

All laundry is being shipped to Red Onion State Prison, near Pound. Washing of vehicles and watering of flowers or grounds have been halted. At approximately 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. each day, inmates are issued two 8-ounce bottles of water in addition to the beverages served at meals.

Hand wipes are being provided to inmates and staff. Additional portable toilets are being provided for inmate and staff use. Water remains on in the prison's medical unit and kitchen. Also, Red Onion is shipping truckloads of potable water to Wallens Ridge.

Big Stone Gap's Big Cherry Reservoir had shrunk to 30 million gallons as of midweek, about a two- or three-week supply. At full capacity, the new dam can hold about 600 million gallons. Dedicated this spring, the new structure - built about 200 feet downstream of the 1930s dam it was built to replace - has yet to hold much other than the promise of 200 million gallons more than the old dam could contain.

Insufficient rains after the new dam was ready to do its job never allowed waters behind the old dam to overflow into the area behind the new structure, and the situation throughout the summer, especially during the last two months, has evolved into drought conditions across the region.

Big Stone Gap is buying water from the Scott and Lee County Public Service Authorities and hopes to finish up an above-ground link to Norton's water system over the weekend or early next week to purchase water from the city and/or the Wise County PSA.

On Wednesday, the Town Council agreed to lease a mobile water treatment facility from a New York company to treat up to 500,000 gallons daily out of the Powell River. That unit will be placed at either Bullitt Park or across the river off Aviation Road, but delivery may take two weeks with another five days to set up.

Daily consumption averages about 2.3 million gallons, but that has been cut to 1.6 million since the emergency was declared. Discussions during Wednesday's emergency council session indicated more conservation efforts must be implemented by residents and businesses, even after measures like the mobile purifying plant and linkup with Norton/Wise County are in place.

[imported_burrhead]

If they could run a pipeline from the old Cavalier mine I worked at on Guest River to Big Stone Gap, their water worries would be over. Drive by one day and look at the water that comes out of that old mine.

[imported_trumpet1988]

Shew man I hope we get the rain. We definitley need it