Some residents of Vandiver, a small, mountainous community just east of Birmingham, are now without water, after a project to install fiber cable underground hit the aquifer supplying their wells.
“They’re not sure it can be fixed, and that’s what scares us all,” said Tommy Fish, a resident whose well has been impacted.
Residents in Shelby County filed suit to stop the project last week, but the judge has ordered that the drilling continue.
Alabama Power hired R.E.M. Directional to drill in Coosa Mountain in the northern end of Shelby County and install fiber cable on their existing rights-of-way.
Alyson Tucker, a spokesperson for Alabama Power, said in an email to AL.com that the drilling project is “a vital component to enhancing reliability and service to our customers.”
Fish, one of three plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said residents began to notice issues with their wells around three weeks ago. After a few days of wondering, Fish and another resident traveled to the drilling site, where he said members of the crew said they had previously experienced a “blowout” and water had begun gushing from where they were drilling.
Residents were not informed about the incident prior to this, Fish said.
“About two weeks ago, we learned some residents near Vandiver served by private water wells were experiencing issues with their water source,” Tucker said in an email. “We have been actively communicating with the impacted residents and providing assistance as needed.”
An attorney for R.E.M. Directional did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Fish and the other residents of the community rely on private wells for their water. They’re too far away to connect to a utility’s drinking water system. Currently, eight wells belonging to five homeowners are completely dry, he said, though Fish’s has not completely dried up.
As drilling continues, water will continue to pour out of the aquifer, he said. More residents could be affected as the aquifer continues to lose water.
“As the water table continues to lower, it will affect more people,” Fish said. “It’s growing.”
After Fish and two other residents filed a complaint against R.E.M., Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Patrick Kennedy entered a temporary restraining order on Friday, halting drilling. Alabama Power joined the suit later as an intervenor.
But on Tuesday, Kennedy ordered drilling to resume, on a 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week schedule, in order to complete the project as quickly as possible. Alabama Power will also have to provide to the judge a daily status report, and another hearing will be held on Feb. 18.
Bruce Romeo, an attorney representing Fish and the other plaintiffs, said the remaining drilling could take anywhere from three days to three weeks.
In the meantime, Alabama Power and R.E.M. have provided water and other assistance to people whose wells have been affected. That must continue, Kennedy ruled.
Romeo said they would have been in favor of hiring a hydrogeologist to consult prior to resuming drilling. Since that could take weeks or even months, and with no other alternative, the judge opted to allow operations to resume.
Alabama Power and R.E.M. had argued that the best way to address the water issue is to complete the project as quickly as possible, Romeo said.
“Alabama Power is working around the clock to complete the project as quickly as possible,” Tucker said. “Upon completion, we can fully assess any impacted wells and promptly resolve the matter. Alabama Power remains committed to the impacted residents, our customers and communities, and will remain in contact with those affected by this work.”
But the long-term effects to the aquifer are unknown. Fish said there’s no guarantee that Alabama Power and R.E.M. can repair the aquifer. Romeo said it’s also not known if the aquifer can be completely restored or if contamination is a concern.
“We’ll have to see first if they can fix this,” Romeo said. “I’m a little skeptical…We’re very much in the infancy of this.”
And it extends beyond water, Fish said: losing the aquifer could destabilize the ground, which could in turn jeopardize people’s homes.
Above all, Fish said, it’s the uncertainty that frightens residents. Not having access to water jeopardizes the homes they worked so hard for.
“[The provided water] is great for those who haven’t had water, but looking down the road, that’s what worries us,” Fish said. “Are we going to have water tanks forever?”
Recently, the residents of a mountain community in Alabama have been left without water due to the drilling activities of Alabama Power. This has caused a major inconvenience for the residents, who rely on the water supply for their everyday needs.
The drilling activities have disrupted the underground water sources, leading to a decrease in water pressure and ultimately leaving the community without water. Residents have been forced to find alternative sources of water, such as purchasing bottled water or using water from nearby streams.
The situation has sparked outrage among the residents, who feel that Alabama Power should be held accountable for the disruption to their water supply. Many are calling for the company to take immediate action to rectify the situation and ensure that the community has access to clean and reliable water.
In response to the backlash, Alabama Power has stated that they are working to address the issue and restore water to the community as soon as possible. However, many residents remain skeptical and are demanding more transparency and accountability from the company.
Overall, the situation serves as a reminder of the potential consequences of industrial activities on local communities and the importance of ensuring that companies prioritize the well-being of residents in their operations.
Tags:
Alabama Power, drilling, mountain community, water shortage, environmental impact, community health, water contamination, utility company, conservation efforts, natural resources, environmental stewardship.
#Alabama #Power #drilling #leaves #mountain #community #water
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