State of emergency declared in town of Bethany amid water shortage - 13WHAM-TV
State of emergency declared in town of Bethany amid water shortage | WHAM
Bethany, N.Y. — A 30-day state of emergency has been declared in the town of Bethany amid a water shortage.
Officials tell us the shortage has been ongoing for some time, and wells across the town have run dry. They cite the recent drought conditions in Western New York as a major factor.
In the meantime, impacted residents are receiving bottles of water, which are being donated by Wegmans, Casella Waste and Tops. The state also brought in a tanker that residents can use to fill up water totes as officials work to resolve the issue.
"The state is letting us have the trailer right now for 30 days," said Bethany Town Supervisor Carl Hyde Jr. "As it gets closer to that time, if they don't have a need for it, we can apply to leave it here for another 30 days. But if there's another state of emergency and they've got to pull it, they've got to pull it."
The town also said rising costs have impacted the water supply.
In August next year, leaders will break ground on a public water project in Bethany. That's slated to be finished by 2025.
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