In light of this weekend’s events at Lake George, it is imperative that I bring the community up to date on the situation.
As you may have read or already heard, Lake George (the city’s main water source), developed a hole in the levee on Friday, April 29th. At risk of the levee breaking and causing major property damage to bridges and roads along Crooked Creek, it became clear that releasing water from the Lake in a controlled manner was necessary. The current circumstances require that Lake George be fully emptied before a full assessment of replacement or repairs can be determined.
At this time, the City has sufficient water supply for our needs, but steps need to be taken to assure that we remain able to supply sufficient water for City residents over the long term. Later today, I will be declaring this situation a community-wide disaster and will sign an Executive Order to institute water usage restrictions. What does this mean for you? Use of City water for yards, gardens, flowers, pools, and washing cars will need to be restricted, Additionally, the City will be working with commercial and industrial entities to conserve consumption. If you need water for your pool or other no essential purposes, we encourage you to seek out water supply haulers.
This crisis will not be a short-term issue and will test our community’s resolve. You all will want answers and we will keep you informed about all contingency plans and funding options being considered. In the meantime, we must act in the community’s interest and restrict water consumption until further notice.
Jared Byford
Mayor, City of Marion
