Most East Tennesseans are dealing with drought conditions and some water districts are asking their customers to voluntarily cut back on water use Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. This farm pond is located off Watt Road at Harrison Road in West Knox County.
(Michael Patrick/News Sentinel)Small towns in the driest parts of Tennessee answered the calls to conserve water during the 2016 drought, with residents taking shorter showers and letting their lawns turn brown.
But the dry spell -- the worst since the historic drought of 2007 -- tested many local water districts' drought plans, and has forced officials to rethink their drinking water sources. Some utility managers are searching for backup water supplies, eyeing new pumping equipment and exploring alternate distribution models, in case dry conditions continue.
At the Big Creek Utility District in Grundy County, manager Allen Joslyn said he's working on a deal with the state to use water from a nearby lake, in addition to using the district's current reservoir. The 3,100-customer district lifted mandatory water-use restrictions mid-December, after much-needed rain.
Read more at our news partner's website, tennessean.com.