Why Are the Wells Going Dry?

Residents near Vandiver, Alabama, are grappling with a severe water crisis after a drilling mishap by R.E.M. Directional, contracted by Alabama Power, led to the puncturing of an aquifer during fiber cable installation. The incident, initially undisclosed to the public, resulted in an uncontrolled blowout, causing wells to dry up across the community.

What started with one neighbor’s well drying up quickly spread like a domino effect, leaving the entire street without water. In response, a Shelby County judge mandated continuous, around-the-clock operations by Alabama Power and R.E.M. Directional to mitigate the breach.