While Shelbyville Power, Water and Sewerage System (SPWSS) and Bedford County Utility District (BCUD) are not experiencing extreme drought conditions, many neighboring counties are. So, there is a voluntary effort to conserve water.
Per the U.S. Drought Monitor, far-west portions of the Duck River Watershed are currently in extreme drought conditions. At D3 levels, expected impacts include a water supply that is inadequate for wildlife.
SPWSS and BCUD are currently in the area of “D1 Moderate Drought” conditions.
At this stage 1 designation, DRA is requesting all water users to voluntarily reduce all non-essential water usage. This includes watering of lawns, gardens and other outdoor areas, filling or refilling pools and hot tubs, dust control measures during construction, just to name a few examples.
The Duck River Watershed is considered the most bio-diverse ecosystems in North America.
The water systems reported today they will continue to monitor this situation and further announcements will be made in the future.
In response, Duck River Agency is initiating a Drought Response Team, consisting of BCUD leaders, alongside other state and local officials who will meet weekly to assess drought conditions and escalate a response, if needed.
While the Normandy Reservoir is not seeing drought impacts currently, many downstream entities, including BCUD, are seeing low river flow levels. This means significant amounts of river water is being lost to groundwater replenishment.
So please conserve as best you can to help this situation.
