Water damage restoration in Nicholasville
Nicholasville runs its own water, sewer and electric utility, drinks Kentucky River water lifted out of the gorge, and sits on the same karst limestone as Lexington. Here is who to call and what is different about drying out a house here.
Referral service, not a contractor. Your request goes to an independent Lexington-area restoration company. We do not do the drying or repairs.
Which utility is yours?
Not every Nicholasville address is on the city system. The city's water distribution page lists three water providers in town, each with its own office:
- City of Nicholasville Water, 714 S. Main Street, 859.885.9473.
- Jessamine Water District No. 1, 2225 Lexington Road, 859.885.9314.
- Jessamine South Elkhorn Water, 802 S. Main Street, 859.881.0589.
The name on your bill tells you who to call about a main break or a leak on the street side of the meter. For city customers, the city's FAQ gives a 24-hour emergency line, 859.885.7305, and the utilities page lists an outage reporting number, 833.805.9473. The city also offers a text line for customer service during business hours, 833.773.9469. Street repairs go to City Hall at 859.885.1121.
The same city utility also sells electricity in parts of town. If water has reached an outlet or a panel and you are a city electric customer, the utility office is the place to ask about cutting power safely; if anyone is in danger, call 911.
Where Nicholasville's water comes from
The city's water treatment page says the plant draws surface water from Pool 8 of the Kentucky River and pumps it roughly 330 feet uphill to the plant. The plant was built in 1954 at 0.75 million gallons a day and expanded in steps, most recently in 1990 to 1992, to 6.0 million gallons a day. That expansion added a deeper intake after the 1988 drought left the river pool low.
It is a long way from the river to your kitchen. A break anywhere along that path can drop pressure, and when pressure returns, the first water through the tap may be cloudy. Run the cold water until it clears, and follow any boil water notice the utility issues.
The 1989 Sinking Creek flood
One well documented karst flood happened in Jessamine County itself, in the Sinking Creek karst valley, part of a drainage basin that reaches into Woodford County. The Kentucky Geological Survey studied it in detail.
From February 13 to 16, 1989, 8.4 inches of rain fell. From mid-February into early March, the Tashamingo Subdivision and the Delaneys Ferry Road area flooded.
Several homes were cut off by blocked roads. Two homes flooded, and one was damaged extensively.
The valley drains underground, through swallow holes, to Garretts Spring, the head of Clear Creek. The study found the swallow holes were limited by the size of the conduit below, not by trash blocking them.
Flooding was more likely, and higher, when the soil was already near saturation before a storm.
Modeling showed that suburban development of 20 percent of the southeastern part of the basin would raise flood levels at the subdivision.
Source: Currens and Graham, KGS Report of Investigations 7, 1993.
April 2025 in Jessamine County
In the April 1 to 6, 2025 storms, a CoCoRaHS volunteer station 1.2 miles southeast of Nicholasville recorded 9.44 inches, according to the National Weather Service in Louisville. The Kentucky River at Camp Nelson, on the county's southern edge, crested at a record 47.04 feet on April 6. At High Bridge, on the same river, the flood forced Wilmore to shut down its river pumps for several days.
Most Nicholasville homes are far above the river. The water damage from storms like that one usually comes from the ground and the roof: saturated soil pushing water into basements and crawlspaces, sump pumps that run for days, and wind-driven rain finding old flashing.
Common Nicholasville jobs
- Crawlspaces. Standing water under the floor after long rain, and damp insulation that falls out of the joists. The crawlspace drying guide walks through how that gets fixed.
- Finished basements in newer subdivisions. A failed sump or a power cut during a storm is the usual cause.
- Winter supply line breaks. In a freeze like December 2022, when Lexington hit 5 below zero, lines in exterior walls and garages are the first to split.
Drying methods are the same as anywhere. The basement page and the national price ranges apply here.