On Dec. 11, 2021, several tornados tore through many communities across Kentucky. The community of Dawson Springs suffered severe damage from a tornado near the West KY 4-H Camp operated by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. Centrally located, the camp became a logistical hub for relief work; however, a Boil Water Advisory complicated relief efforts at every turn. Without safe drinking water, cooking, cleaning, rehydrating, and bathing were all made more difficult. Camp staff explained that the aftermath of this tornado wasn’t even the first time they faced contaminated water. Even during normal operations, 4-H campers have been sent home due to city-wide Boil Water Advisories. With limited recycling options and valuable space needed, storing pallets of bottled water just isn’t a sustainable option for dealing with unsafe drinking water in the future.WaterStep M-100 Chlorinator and 500-gallon bladder tank filled with water in a staging area at West KY 4-H Camp during staff training.

The Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Agent from Bullitt County Cooperative Extension Services worked with WaterStep, a Louisville-based nonprofit to provide a solution. On Dec. 13, WaterStep sent a team of 5 volunteers to western Kentucky with disaster-ready mobile water treatment systems to areas that didn’t have safe drinking water. Through the Bullitt County ANR Agent’s partnership with WaterStep, the West KY 4-H Camp received a mini water treatment system that included an M-100 chlorinator, a 500-gallon refillable bladder tank, a BleachMaker, and about 100 5-gallon reusable water jugs for water distribution to the community.  The M-100 easily chlorinates thousands of gallons of water daily. Meanwhile, the BleachMaker makes several gallons of medical-grade bleach per day for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces—an important aspect of clean-up after a disaster during a pandemic. On Dec. 21, the Bullitt County ANR Agent worked with a WaterStep Volunteer and trained 3 camp staff and volunteers on how to make water safe to drink when the Boil Water Advisory inevitably returns. With this portable water treatment system, the camp staff no longer need to keep bottled water on hand in case of an emergency.

Children need at least 8 cups of water (2 water bottles) per day, and even more on a hot, sunny, active day at 4-H camp. With 445 youth plus adults at the campground on any given day in the summer, a Boil Water Advisory would require at least a pallet of water (1920 16oz. bottles) every two days, just for drinking—not to mention cooking, cleaning, and bathing. Donated pallets of bottled water piling up in valuable storage and activity space outside of Sparks Hall, West KY 4-H Camp.

On average the West KY 4-H Camp provides a week of summer fun and learning for a rotation of 3200 Kentucky 4-H youth. Now that the camp has this mini water treatment system, drinking water will not be a problem in the coming years of 4-H camps, and the camp is equipped to be more even more ready to host volunteers during times of community need.

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