DAPHNE, Ala. (WALA) - A water line connection between Fairhope and Daphne has now been completed. The two Eastern Shore cities came to an agreement about two weeks ago to provide water to one another in the event of a water emergency.
Even as a serious drought continues across our area, the city of Daphne’s water supply has been healthy. Daphne Utilities continues to bring new wells online to include another one in October. Mayor, Robin LeJeune said it’s something the city has planned for. Wire Ties
“As Fairhope was in their deficit and having issues, Daphne Utilities was running at about seventy-five percent capacity when Fairhope was running at about one hundred percent capacity,” LeJeune said. “We’ve added additional wells, so this was something that was not going to be or is a detriment to any current customer.”
Fairhope is also in the process of bringing another well online but with this union both cities can take comfort in knowing they’ve got each other’s backs. One Fairhope resident and business owner is glad to see her city taking these measures.
“Our city works really hard to keep it thriving and as a result, people want to move here. People flock here and want to live here because Fairhope is so wonderful,” said Stephanie Reeves. “Growing problems are a good problem. They just have to be handled.”
The junction of the water lines is on Sea Cliff Drive in Montrose, where the two systems run closest together. While it may seem like a new and novel idea, LeJeune said it has actually been done before, many years ago, just not permanently.
“It was a temporary basis. I think they had some hoses run across the road, connecting two fire hydrants…two systems together, so it’s not a new thing but this is more of a permanent basis where it’s that ability to instantly allow to share water,” LeJeune explained.
The water wouldn’t be freely given. The city needing the water would pay the other a set price per 1,000 gallons given and only if their own system isn’t at a deficit.
Fairhope’s system has a 10-million gallons per day capacity and over the last week has averaged around 8-million gallons daily. The city is still under phase 1 of its emergency water conservation plan, meaning residents are asked to voluntarily limit water use and to only water outdoors between midnight and 4:00 a.m.
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