PUBLIC REPORT FROM JUDGE EXEC PHILLIP CARTER
“…An (emergency) field meeting was held Friday March 27, 2026 concerning the ongoing water line issues at the junction of State RT 757 and US 23.
Those in attendance included Lawrence County Judge Executive Phillip Carter, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 10 (KTCD) Engineer
Darren Gifford and staff, Joseph Sister from Sisler-Maggard Engineering along with supervisor James Blanton and Commissioners from Big Sandy Water District (BSWD).
A water leak on a 12-inch supply line occurred on Feb 19th resulting in over 1,000 homes and business’ without water in Lawrence, Carter, and Boyd counties which lasted several days before repairs could be completed. This line is located on an unstable hillside sitting
below a recently repaired road slip. This water main supplies water to three distribution tanks, therefore it’s critical to have this repaired to continue providing reliable service to residents.
A route allowance was provided by KTCD to relocate the line out of the unstable area. The line repair appeared to be leaking at the time of the meeting and the surrounding ground remains unstable.
Big Sandy Water District reported they will have to do another temporary fix due to the amount of water that’s currently leaking. These leaks and future water line relocation have created an unforeseen emergency and financial burden on BSWD and its customers. Judge Carter, along with Carter and Boyd County Judges have declared a state
of emergency by sending out letters requesting emergency financial assistance from the state agencies to help relieve the burden.”
