The community of Marion in Crittenden County is facing a potential water crisis, and the Hopkinsville, Christian & Todd County Association of Realtors has called on local residents to help by donating bottled water.
Marion’s mayor, Jared Byford, is concerned that the city’s water supply will soon be depleted following a levee breach at a lake that supplies most of Marion’s water supply. He estimates 100,000 bottles of water a day will be needed for residents, the Hopkinsville real estate association reported.
Anyone who wants to help can drop off bottled water at the real estate association’s office, 1700 Parkview Drive, Hopkinsville, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Call 270-885-8365 to arrange for pick up or drop off at a different time.
On Saturday, June 18, Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency in Marion. The executive order will allow Kentucky Department of Emergency Management and Kentucky National Guard to coordinate a response and mobilize personnel, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
The first delivery from Hopkinsville to Marion will be on Friday, June 24.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
