The residents of Alabama left without water after the drilling strikes aquifer

The residents of Alabama left without water after the drilling strikes aquifer

A community of Vandiver, in Alabama, faces a major water crisis after an underground drilling project damaged an aquifer providing private wells.
As indicated by Al.com, the problem started when Alabama power hired a drilling company, REM DIRECTIONALTo install optical fiber cables in Coosa Mountain, located in the north of the county of Shelby.
During the borehole, the aquifer was struck, bringing out water from the site. Since then, several residents have been without water supply.
“They are not sure that it can be corrected, and that is what scares us,” said Tommy Fish, one of the affected residents.
The dry wells
According to CBS 42, the first signs of problems appeared in January when residents noticed their dry wells. Peter Adkins, another resident, consulted a plumber but found no internal plumbing problem. He then visited the drilling site and was informed by a worker that they had observed an unusual quantity of water that goes back during the process.
Currently, eight wells belonging to five owners are completely dry, while others are experiencing a significant drop in water levels. Many residents count entirely on private wells because they are too far from the municipal water connections.

Last week, a trial was filed by three residents, including fish, to stop drilling. The judge of the County Circuit of the County of Shelby, Patrick Kennedy, initially made a temporary prohibition order.
However, according to Al.com, the judge later ruled that the borehole was to continue 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to complete the project as quickly as possible.
The court also asked Alabama Power to provide daily situation reports and help affected residents by providing water and other necessities.
An uncertain future for the aquifer
Fish and other residents are concerned about the long -term impact on the aquifer and their houses. “While the water table continues to drop, it will affect more people,” he said.
Lawyer Bruce Romeo, representing the owners affected, told WVTM 13 that there was no guarantee that the aquifer can be restored. He also feared that the exhaustion of the aquifer leads to soil instability, which could affect housing structures.
“The loss of the aquifer could destabilize the soil, which could in turn compromise people ‘houses,” said Fish.
Alabama Power said that the project is completed quickly is the best course of action to assess and solve the problem. “Once finished, we can fully assess all the well impacted wells and quickly resolve the issue,” said spokesperson Alyson Tucker.
With another court hearing scheduled for February 18, residents are worried about the future of their water supply.