MONROE COUNTY, Ga. — In Juliette, the saying around town is, "Don't drink the water."
According to Altamaha Riverkeeper, the water is contaminated by the coal ash ponds around Plant Scherer.
In several community meetings on coal ash, people in Juliette asked their county officials for clean drinking water.
Plant Scherer neighbor Karl Cass says, "I know of at least four of them hear us, and they're in here doing things to help us."
Monroe County Commissioners brought in two 600-gallon water tanks from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.
Commissioners say it's in response to weeks of public hearings with environmental group Altamaha Riverkeeper.
Commissioner Eddie Rowland says, "My heart just hurt for something that I could do to help. There's some long-term solutions, and some solutions that will take a while to do, but I wanted to do something now."
Many people in Juliette resort to buying bottled water to stay safe from heavy toxins found in their wells.
Now, they have access to clean water at no cost.
"It's not pipes, it's not lines, it's not water at my tap yet, but it's on the way, and I feel that," says Cass.
County commissioners say this is a temporary fix, while they search for long-term solutions-- like bringing county water lines to Juliette.
"Even if we aren't going to get any assistance from anybody else, and we have to go it alone as a county, when we will pull the trigger, we want to be able to get this in, hopefully, within a hundred days when we start," says County Chairman, Greg Tapley.
A small step to clean water for people in Juliette, but the gesture speaks volumes.
Cass says, "I'm encouraged to see the action, action not just words."
Monroe County commissioners say you can come by around the clock to use the tanks. They ask people to bring their own water containers.
They will be located at the fire station in Juliette, and the headquarters station.
County commissioners are also working to bring another 1,000-gallon tank.
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