BOB WHITE The Kentucky Standard
City and county leaders agreed to research two items Tuesday that could result in improved service and increased supply of Bardstown water.
Raw water is currently drawn from Sympson Lake and Beech Fork then treated at the city’s water treatment plant along Boston Road.
The existing water plant and sources of raw water are expected to adequately serve city water customers through 2040, but city and county leaders are looking ahead to serve the public’s need for water beyond that projected date.
“I think that’s what we’re paid to do,” Bardstown Mayor Dixie Hibbs said. “We have to admit we’re not comfortable with 2040.”
During a recent Nelson County Fiscal Court meeting Nelson County Judge Executive Dean Watts said he believed county growth was ahead of the 2040 projection.
Alternative raw water sources mentioned during the joint meeting included: the construction of a reservoir on Beech Fork, Tewell Creek, or Cedar Creek; the addition of a second reservoir on land adjacent to Sympson Lake; making use of Taylorsville Lake water; tapping into Louisville Water Company lines; and raising of the Beech Fork rock dam to increase the pool where water is currently drawn from the river.
Those alternatives are being considered as long-term water sources.
Of more immediate importance than raw water sources is the need for increased storage capacity for treated water at the plant.
Wayne Kendall, Bardstown Water Superintendent, said improvements were needed at the plant to ensure quality drinking water.
High usage during summer months force a quick treatment of water and could cause water quality to suffer as it did last summer.
“It was being used as fast as we could produce it,” Kendall said.
Kendall said treated water needs to be contained in clear wells prior to being distributed to customers.
High summer usage reduced the amount of time available for water to be held in the clear wells.
“You don’t want your water moving that quick,” Kendall said.
Not allowing treated water enough time in the clear wells reduces the quality of Bardstown water.
Kendall said the addition of a one or two million gallon clear well would allow treated water more time before distribution and improve water quality during high usage months.
The addition of a large clear well at the plant and a water line, would allow the treatment and distribution of up to 8 million gallons of quality water per day, according to Kendall.
The plant currently treats and distributes about 6 million gallons per day, but nearly 7 million gallons have been treated and distributed during times of high demand.
When distribution neared 7 million gallons per day last summer, customers were asked to conserve water and limit usage.
Hibbs said the city would begin seeking estimates for a new clear well and Watts said the county would research possible grant funding for the project.
Hibbs said city funds for the improvement were currently unavailable.
The cheapest way to increase raw water holding capacity would be to raise an existing rock dam on Beech Fork by a few feet to increase the volume of pooled water, according to Hibbs.
The old rock dam can be seen from the U.S. 31E bridge spanning Beech Fork.
Some officials voiced preferences of damming other portions of Beech Fork to provide a recreational lake and others prefer not to dam the river at all.
“I’m 100 percent against raising the rock dam or building a lake on Beech Fork,” said District 4 Magistrate Tim Hutchins.
Hutchins believes the city would best serve water customers by adding a new clear well then seeking more service from Louisville Water Company.
Louisville Water Company spokesperson Barbara Crow said the company was interested in extending Louisville water to Bardstown.
Water supply and capacity would not be an issue if Louisville Water Company was to serve Bardstown, Crow said.
“We certainly have the transmission and capacity to get water to Bardstown,” Crow added.
North Nelson Water District and Lebanon Junction’s water department, both of which are bulk customers of Bardstown water, have attached their systems to Louisville Water Company lines in recent years.
Hibbs told officials North Nelson Water District would need more Louisville water in the future if growth in its district continued.
Hutchins noted North Nelson Water District currently received 45 percent of its water from Louisville.
Watts said North Nelson Water District had been pulling more from Louisville to relieve the strain on Bardstown.
Hibbs expects Lebanon Junction to eventually rely solely on Louisville Water.
Lebanon Junction Mayor George Halk said the city could not disconnect from the Bardstown system until a 40-year purchase contract with Bardstown was fulfilled. The contract was signed in the early 1970s.
If all of Bardstown’s current customers were turned over to Louisville Water Company, Hibbs said the city would turn its back on a $40-$50 million investment at its current plant.
The city recently spent $5 million at the water treatment plant and a new clear well could cost between $1-2 million.
In addition to turning away from a large investment, a century old tradition of providing water to residents would end if Louisville Water assumed all of Bardstown water’s customers.
Bardstown has provided water since 1904, according to Hibbs.
Hibbs felt comfortable in Beech Fork’s ability to supply a substantial supply of raw water to Bardstown customers.
Bob White can be reached at 348-9003 Ext. 116 or by e-mail at bwhite@kystandard.com.
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