Dooly Water Shortage Continues for Third Week

Just off of Mashburn Store Road in Unadilla, residents are complaining of no running water.

They aren’t sure if the lack of H2o is a result of continuous irrigation
or just a drought. Whatever the reason, they say they can’t take much more of it.

“I don’t know when we’ll get water out here,” says Cheryl Shelton.

For almost a month, Shelton has camped out in her mother’s backyard to make sure her mom has life’s essentials.

Mary Mashburn Scarborough says, “It’s bad, you can’t wash, you can’t take good baths.”

She can’t do laundry, she can’t mop, and she’s given up on cooking.

Scarborough says, “I don’t even try to cook, I just eat sandwiches, stuff like that.”

Luckily, friends have provided the family with a tank, something they refer to as a water wagon. However it’s still tough – getting the water from outside, inside.

“Well toting water is stressful for me because I’m 87-years-old,” says Scarborough.

They’re convinced that the dry spell is due to constant irrigation.

Shelton says, “I can understand that the farmers have to grow their crops, I understand that, but they do not have to irrigate day and night.”

“Everybody needs water, you can’t live without water.”

Scarborough installed a water pump, but after just two days it went dry.
The cost to dig a well is $4,000 that she says is not feasible on a fixed income.