‘We’ve been cut off’: Officials share what went wrong with Ardmore Water and what needs to change
ARDMORE, Ala. (WAFF) — State representative Andy Whitt says the slow, dribbling stream of water in Ardmore homes is only the sign of one thing.
“We’ve been cut off,” Whitt said.
Residents like Bill Trebing have been asked to conserve water for the past 48 hours.
“It was just like somebody kind of had the dribbling hose pipe over my head,” Trebing said.
Superintendent of Ardmore Water Systems Wayne Miller says Limestone County Water Authority forced them to shut down their pump, which connects to the county’s water.
“I’ve got a text that they had lost their big pump that pumps like 350 gallons a minute, and they had to replace it with a 250 gallon a minute and it was causing them problems filling their tank,” Miller said.
Ardmore has three pumps of its own. During the summer months, when usage is highest, the city pays Limestone County to cover the demand it can’t meet.
When Limestone County started having issues supplying to county customers, Miller says a contract allows Ardmore to be the first cut off.
“And it gives them the right if they have their customers out of water or low on water, to make us shut that off,” Miller said. “Ardmore has been growing and we’ve had the same three sources of water for twenty years.”
Whitt says changes need to be made.
“The third fastest growing county in the state, with third world water problems,” Whitt said. “It’s unacceptable.”
Miller says the water authority has been testing two new pumps to eventually provide the same amount of water the county provides. Congressman Dale Strong’s office has earmarked over $5 million to help pay for water improvements in Ardmore. It’s currently included in a spending bill pending approval in Washington.
Miller says if all goes well, the water will be flowing as usual by 6 a.m. Tuesday morning. He says officials are working to fix the Limestone County pump and look for a possible leak in the Ardmore system.
Click Here to Subscribe on YouTube: Watch the latest WAFF 48 news, sports & weather videos on our YouTube channel!
Copyright 2025 WAFF. All rights reserved.