AI-generated illustration; not a photograph of the reported event.
- calendar_today October 29, 2026
The Village Restaurant Leads Water Conservation Efforts in Casey County
As drought conditions persist in Casey County and water levels remain low, a well-known Liberty, Kentucky restaurant is making notable changes to support water conservation in the community.
Longstanding Local Business Adapts to Water Shortage
The Village Restaurant has served as a staple gathering spot in downtown Liberty for 62 years. Owned by Donna Rigney, the establishment is recognized for its homemade, from-scratch dishes. However, the ongoing water shortage, with Lake Liberty—the main water supplier—still at concerning levels, has prompted the restaurant to alter its daily routines to reduce water use.
Water-Saving Measures Inside the Restaurant
Rigney described recent adjustments to minimize unnecessary water consumption. "One of the main things that we do is we try to limit the water that goes out. If somebody wants water, then we give it to them. We don’t deny them, but we don’t just offer it either," Rigney explained. This approach aims to reduce water waste in daily customer service.
Kitchen Practices Support Conservation
Efforts extend into the kitchen as well. Employees have shifted away from continuously spraying off dishes. Instead, they use a bus tub to collect dirty dishes, then wash and rack them for cleaning, which avoids running water from a sprayer. "We have a bus tub back there that we put the dishes in, wash them, put them in the rack, then run them through so you’re not using no sprayer to spray all of the food off the dishes and things like that," Rigney said of the restaurant’s new routine.
Personal Water Use Reduction at Home
Rigney is also mindful of water conservation at home. When replacing water for her dogs, she repurposes any leftover water to tend her plants, ensuring that no water goes to waste.
Community Response to Ongoing Drought Conditions
The prolonged water shortage affects the entire Liberty community. Liberty Mayor Dr. Sam Haddad noted that the situation is becoming increasingly challenging. While a new pump with a capacity to move 2.5 million gallons of water daily has been approved, Lake Liberty remains 18 feet below normal level, underlining the seriousness of the drought conditions and water shortage in the area.
Commitment to Community Conservation
Donna Rigney remarked on the unprecedented nature of the current drought, stating, "I’ve been here 33 years, and I don’t know of ever being a drought, you know, like it is now." For Rigney, adjusting the restaurant’s and her own routines is about supporting the community in a difficult time. "You have to do it because it’s your community, you know, you have to care," she said, emphasizing the importance of community conservation and local business responsibility.
Lake Liberty’s Role and Future Steps
Lake Liberty’s ongoing water level concerns underscore the need for continued water use reduction throughout Casey County. While infrastructural solutions such as the new pump are underway, local businesses like The Village Restaurant are playing a vital role through practical, everyday water saving measures to help the region navigate the ongoing drought.
Source: wtvq.com.
