EMA announces bottled water distribution locations

Highland County Water Company customers who remain without services will be provided with free bottled water, beginning Monday evening.

Highland County Emergency Management Agency Executive Director Jim Lyle said the county applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Saturday to receive water assistance. County customers were without the water services when the privately owner Highland County Water Company lost electricity during the weekend storms.

"FEMA is providing the water," Lyle said. "It's supposed to be for Highland County Water customers, and we'll be screening it a little bit, but we won't turn people away unless they start abusing it. We asked for the water on Saturday, but it's just now getting here. We know that some people have been without, or have very little water pressure. "

On Saturday, the Highland County Board of Commissioners declared a state of emergency, in response to the combitionation of the high heat, a loss of power, and water shortage. 

On Monday, Wilkin said, "As commissioners, we are listening to our emergency services officials, who are following their procedures to respond in events like this. We will continue to listen to our emergency officials and react accordingly."

Bottled water will be available Monday from 5-7 p.m., and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the following locations:

• Paint Creek Joint EMS and Fire District station, 640 North Washington Street, Greenfield

• Lynchburg Area Joint Fire and EMS District station, 8123 state Route 135, Lynchburg

• Rocky Fork Service Center, North Shore Drive

• Mowrystown fire department, 59 Maple Street, Mowrystown

"We're still asking people to conserve, as far as Highland County goes," Lyle said. "We lost a little ground today. AEP is showing no outages right now, and South Central was down to 203 without power. But that number went up to the 280s this afternoon. I don't know if it was people who just couldn't resist turning their air conditioning on, or if some more limbs have fallen, knocking it out."

Lyle said it may take some time for the remaining customers without power to be restored, "because now they're getting down to the smaller areas and individual cases. We just ask that people be patient."

Save-a-lot in Hillsboro was allowing customers to fill up containers of water.

For additional information, the Highland County EMA can be reached at (937) 393-5880.