By Sam Kirkland, The Republic
skirkland@therepublic.com
NORTH VERNON - Jennings County has had watersupply concerns for years.
While Columbus benefits from an aquifer that supplies an abundance of ground water, North Vernon sits less comfortably.
In 1999, mayoral candidates, including current Mayor John Hall, agreed that a reservoir in Zenas was needed to serve Jennings County in the wake of water-supply shortages due to that year's drought.
That project was never completed due to lack of support from Jennings, Ripley and Decatur counties, Hall said.
Hall still holds the same concerns, though. North Vernon's water supply comes from its Brush Creek Reservoir, which was built in the 1950s.
The dam level is down, Hall said, meaning the city may soon have to draw water from the creek a few times a day.
"We're a county that has been without an adequate water supply for many years now," Hall said.
That makes attracting people and businesses to the area more difficult, he said.