State of Emergency declared in Magoffin County after Salyersville sewer line fractures

SALYERSVILLE, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — A state of emergency has been declared in Magoffin County after a sewage line fractured in Salyersville on Wednesday night.

Magoffin County Judge Executive Matt Wireman declared a state of emergency alongside Salyersville Mayor Stanley Howard, stating that a “significant” fracture of a sewer line has exposed the nearby Licking River to raw sewage.

Wireman posted on Facebook Wednesday that the fracture caused a “major disruption in the sewage system, as well as potentially posing health and environmental risks.”

Wireman announced that Magoffin County residents should exercise caution and use water sparingly, “voiding excessive activities like running dishwashers, doing laundry, taking long showers, or flushing toilets unnecessarily,” and advised people to “use water wisely and only when absolutely necessary.”

The declaration has allowed Paul Howard, director of Magoffin County Emergency Management, to coordinate with Salyersville Water Works to work to repair the sewer line fracture, as well as treat the contaminated water and distribute resources as needed, per Mayor Howard’s declaration.

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The full declaration by Mayor Howard and Judge Executive Wireman can be found here .

Wireman also added in a separate announcement that the sewer line fracture is “downstream from the plant” and that there is “no need to worry about it affecting the water supply.”

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