Nicholas County Commission delcares State of Emergency for water conservation, drought

NICHOLAS COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – The Nicholas County Commission has declared a State of Emergency for water conservation amid the ongoing drought conditions.

The commission issued the State of Emergency on Monday, Sept. 16 as an urgent notice directing residents to conserve water as a way to mitigate the crisis of lowering water reserves.

According to the commission, Richwood Waterworks has only four days worth of water reserves left. The City of Richwood itself is under its own Emergency Water Conservation notice issued last week. City officials said the city has started using water from Summit Lake due to the lack of rain in the region.

Although Richwood’s water conservation notice allows for violators to be “held accountable,” The Nicholas County Commission says their State of Emergency declaration does not authorize fines for non-compliance. They say, despite this, it is “imperative that all individuals understand the gravity of the situation and take immediate action to conserve water to help our communities.”

“Please do your part to help our community through this challenging time. Your cooperation and responsible water usage are crucial to ensuring that we can manage our water resources effectively and sustainable,” the commission said in part.

According to the commission, declaring the State of Emergency allows the county and state resources to mobilize into Nicholas County to provide assistance in the most affected areas.

On July 26, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice declared a State of Emergency in all 55 counties due to the drought. He extended it on Aug. 23 . Despite some occasional storms, many areas of the state have still seen little to no rain since, and folks across West Virginia have felt the impacts from agriculture to backyard plants and lawns .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOWK 13 News.