For the second time in less than four months, people in one county are dealing with contaminated water.

Nearly 4,000 people in Letcher County are under a non-consumption water advisory tonight after Division of Water officials confirm petroleum contamination.

For many people in Letcher County, it is de ja vu.

“When you turn your water on it smells like gas, and you can see the, you know, see it in the water,” said Tonya Holbrook of Whitesburg.

Division of Water officials say they traced petroleum contamination to a damaged storage tank about four miles upstream from the Whitesburg water plant. A similar incident happened less than four months ago at a different location, but there is no word yet if the two are connected.

“We can say that legal action against the violator is probable, but until those actions or any notice of violation is issued we are unable to name the violator,” said Allison Fleck with the Division of Water.

In the meantime, the spill is contained but officials warn the public not to use the water.

“They don't want people to wash hands, they don't want you to use anything expect flushing the commodes with it,” said Paul Miles, Letcher County Emergency Management Director.

Letcher County Judge Executive Jim Ward declared a state of emergency to provide the county with water supplies. He says water is being trucked in from Neon to help larger facilities.

“We have taken pallets of water to the hospital, to mountain comp, to the schools, to the nursing home,” he said.

He says more customers are affected this time because the county had just distributed city water into a storage tank.

“It just really bothers me that at this point, this close together, we've had the same thing that happened except on a bigger scale,” said Judge Executive Ward.

Division of Water officials are currently testing water samples and expect to have results back tomorrow evening.

Water Distribution Locations:

Letcher County Highway Garage at Mayking
Cowan Recycling Center
Colson Seniors Center
Letcher County Fire Department
Whitesburg City Hall