The city of Livingston is moving forward with selling its water system. That includes the entirety of its Livingston Municipal Water Works and its wastewater treatment plant.
That’s according to a post on the town’s Facebook. The post says the town plans to open bidding on August 6 and will make the decision on who to sell to August 15.
Wood Creek Water District, the town’s local utility, temporarily ended water service to some residents in November. Livingston has been accruing more than $90,000 in debt to Wood Creek since 2006.
As of April, the city still owes more than $30,000 in debt.
A city spokesperson says Livingston is confident it can pay off the debt, but wants to sell to a licensed operator they’re comfortable can handle the system going forward. A shortage of licensed water operators in Kentucky has been a hurdle for the city.
Livingston, which has around 200 residents in city limits, doesn't make much revenue from its population, and major leaks over the years have also contributed to the debt.
The Public Service Commission is currently investigating why and how the city accrued the debt. In December, the commission ordered Wood Creek cannot shut off service as long as the city continues to pay its bills.
The PSC recently set an August 8 deadline for both Livingston and Wood Creek to provide more information.
Filings with the PSC related to the case are available here.
