Holding our own, hoping for rain: Water restrictions issued as dry conditions continue in Pikeville, Tennessee

Staff photo by Ben Benton / Philip “Winky” Cagle

Don’t let the cloudy skies fool you.

Wells that supply Pikeville, Tennessee, customers with water are getting drier, forcing the small town to issue mandatory restrictions until there’s significant rain.

“We have a drought management plan that was passed by the city council May 22, 2017,” Mayor Philip “Winky” Cagle said of actions the city took in the wake of the 2016 drought. Pikeville’s mandatory restrictions issued Monday ask customers not to wash vehicles, including at commercial car washes, and to restrict lawn and landscaping watering.

The plan, which must meet state requirements, provides for conservation actions based on local water table levels, Cagle said. The water table on Wednesday was marked at 84 feet, relative to a probe that goes 150 feet into the ground.

“When our water table gets below 84 feet, we’re supposed to notify the people of this plan,” Cagle said of the city’s 1,600-plus customers. Pikeville’s largest water customer, the Bledsoe County Correctional Complex where 2,500 or so inmates are housed, accounts for about one-third of demand and also has been asked to conserve.