Amanda Pevey
Elmore Autauga News
Residents across northern Autauga County packed the Pine Level Community Center on Tuesday night, voicing frustration, concern, and uncertainty as the Marbury Water System urged customers to conserve water amid ongoing supply limitations affecting thousands of households.
EAN attended the June 2 town hall meeting, where officials with the Marbury Water System answered serious questions from residents about emergency conservation measures and the future reliability of the area’s water supply.
Families in Pine Level, Marbury, Deatsville, and surrounding communities are currently under Phase 3 of the utility’s water conservation plan after the system’s primary supplier temporarily took one of its 2-million-gallon storage tanks offline for rehabilitation work. Officials said the outage has reduced the amount of water available to the Marbury Water System by nearly half.
During the meeting, residents raised concerns about how long the restrictions could remain in place, how the conservation measures could affect everyday life, and whether additional shortages may occur during the summer months.
Under the conservation plan, customers are being asked to limit water use to essential household needs such as drinking, cooking, bathing, laundry, and caring for animals. Residents are also encouraged to avoid nonessential use, including washing vehicles, cleaning driveways, filling swimming pools, and watering lawns.
Marbury Water General Manager Allen Guy has been with them for over 25 years.
Guy described years of financial struggles, outdated office systems, and infrastructure issues that previously burdened the utility. He said employees routinely worked significant overtime while the system faced mounting debt and operational challenges.
Still, Guy stressed that the current conservation request is intended to help preserve water availability during the temporary reduction in supply.
“I am not stating don’t use water,” Guy said. “I am just asking y’all to conserve a little bit of water when you can.”
Several residents questioned the wording of conservation notices sent to customers, particularly language regarding swimming pools and potential fines.
One resident expressed concern about maintaining pool liners during the summer months after receiving a letter stating pools should not be topped off.
“If it’s Monday through Friday, it is fine,” Guy responded. “Just conserve on Saturday and Sunday.”
Guy said much of the language included in customer notices was based on guidance provided by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, commonly known as ADEM.
“We had to put it out there just as it is written,” Guy said. “Now nobody is going to be out there turning nobody’s water off.”
Pine Level Fire Chief Worcester also addressed officials during the meeting, raising concerns about infrastructure reliability and emergency preparedness.
“Water systems are critical infrastructure,” Worcester said. “They are vital for public safety and public government.”
Worcester questioned how the system reached what he described as a “single point of failure” and asked what contingency plans are in place if the system loses one of its remaining functioning wells.
Guy said Marbury Water is currently working to develop additional wells on the north end of the system to increase future supply capacity.
“We are punching holes on the north end of the system because we could not find any water at the lower end of the system,” Guy said. “Hopefully, we can get it up and running.”
“Hope is not a plan,” Worcester replied.
Other residents criticized communication surrounding the conservation measures, saying customers should have been notified earlier after officials learned in March about the upcoming tank rehabilitation project.
“I think I speak on behalf of a lot of people here,” one resident said. “This is the best that can be done? We need new leadership for Marbury Water.”
Questions also surfaced about why neighboring systems served by Five Star Water Service are not under similar restrictions.
“Because we are not members of Five Star,” Guy said. “We get water from Five Star, but we are not a member.”
Pine Level Councilmember William “Jae” Gray also questioned Guy during the meeting about compliance and leadership accountability within the cooperative.
Guy confirmed that the system remains in compliance and that customers can participate in board elections at the utility’s annual meeting in January.
Following the meeting, Pine Level Mayor Zachary Bigley released a statement acknowledging residents’ concerns while clarifying the town’s role.
“The people of our community spoke loud and clear at tonight’s meeting,” Bigley said. “I want to reiterate that Marbury Water System is an independent cooperative with its own membership, board, and leadership, and the Town of Pine Level does not manage or operate the Marbury Water System.”
Bigley said he appreciated Marbury Water officials meeting directly with residents and expressed hope that continued communication would help move the community toward solutions.
As the meeting concluded, many residents left with lingering questions but also a shared understanding of how deeply the water system affects daily life in Autauga County, from families and farmers to first responders and local leaders, all depending on the same limited supply.
