Casey County car wash adapting to water use regulations amid historic drought

LIBERTY, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – Casey County is dealing with the fallout from critically low water levels at Lake Liberty, the town of Liberty’s main source of water.

Liberty Mayor Dr. Sam Haddad enforced water use regulations after the city declared a state of emergency on June 15.

Dakota Hoskins, co-owner of Safari Falls Car Wash, has been adjusting to the shortage as the region faces one of its most significant droughts in decades.

“We wake up and every day it’s like we’re pivoting,” Hoskins said.

The state of emergency has forced Hoskins to rethink how his business operates. In the first days after the declaration, the stress took a physical toll.

“The first few days were pretty bad. I lost my voice. I think I made myself sick,” Hoskins said.

To reopen, Hoskins purchased a 5,000-gallon tank and a water tanker and plans to begin hauling in water this weekend.

“We just bought this truck. We didn’t even think we needed a truck ten days ago,” Hoskins said.

He said the transition is nearly complete.

“Everything’s looking good. I think we’ll be 100 percent off city water,” Hoskins said.

Hoskins said he needs a few more days before he is confident the operation is fully ready.

“We probably do need two or three more days to make sure we got the water right,” Hoskins said.

While city officials continue to urge residents to conserve water, Hoskins said his team is focused on being part of the solution.

“We’re excited to contribute to helping with the problem by conserving,” Hoskins said.

Hoskins said he is extremely thankful for support from volunteers and customers at all of his locations in Liberty, Bardstown and Danville.

Liberty officials say a plan is in place to pump water from the Green River to Lake Liberty following approval from the Kentucky Division of Water.