Marion Water customers have been advised to boil water due to aging infrastructure while city, county and state officials work on a plan to address the issue. On Wednesday, the Perry County Commission distributed bottled water to residents.
District 1 Commissioner Albert Turner, Jr. said that for days, discussions have been underway on how to solve the crisis. Turner noted that Gov. Kay Ivey has been notified, and the State Emergency Management Agency has been activated.
The short-term fix is to provide drinking water, Turner said, but the long-term fix will be cleaning the water tanks in the city of Marion. He said there are multiple tanks that will have to be cleaned using state rescue funds. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management must also meet with officials to approve a final plan.
The entire Marion Water system must be rehabilitated, which will take some time. So, while the upgrades are underway, county officials want the Perry County Water Authority to be able to supply water to city residents. According to the commission, making that change would not impact the water supply throughout the county.
However, it would require a hookup with meter access and a memorandum of understanding between the Perry County Water Authority and the Marion City Council.
Turner said any option would be better than allowing citizens to live in "third-world country" conditions.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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