Nicholas Co. officials: Water situation OK despite drought

RICHWOOD, W.Va. (WSAZ) - The extreme drought is now creating water concerns -- prompting one county to declare a state of emergency and ask residents to conserve water.

On Monday, the Nicholas County Commission declared a state of emergency for water conservation and drought conditions, urging residents to conserve water.

The state of emergency was issued because the county’s main water source, the Cherry River, is running dry. But Summit Lake, which supplements the Cherry River, is also running dry -- even after Tuesday’s rainfall. However, it is not critically low as water has flowed into the Summit Lake, giving them more time to get ahead.

“I think it’s a good thing because we are running low,” resident John Spencer said. “It’s not going to rain. It seems like all the rain is going by us. I just wish it would rain.”

Spencer is washing his dishes sparingly until the emergency is lifted.

The declaration said it will help bring more state resources into the area and provide assistance to those who need it most.

However, the county commission states in the declaration “only four days of water reserves left,” which officials say is false. They were given many different numbers and they say there is no way to accurately know how many days are left.

“We do not have an exact amount on that,” Nicholas County Commissioner Gary Roberts said. “We just want to make sure that [the] condensate are in place, there is bottle water for drinking, bulk water for flushing water, for things like that, or the hygiene things that need to take place in a household.”

Currently, Richwood water operator Steven Elliot says there is enough water in the plant to make the reservoir last, but it is day to day.

However, some residents believe this could have been avoided.

“A lot of them think there is nothing major we could have done,” Spencer said. “That’s their feeling, and it’s not. The water department has done everything they can.”

Elliot says residents can save water by using the bare minimum amount of water, adding this will save thousands of gallons of water.

Crews have created a new makeshift dam to help bring more water in, if needed.