At least 50 water wells across Merced County have run dry

MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Merced County couple is facing the harsh reality of the drought after their well dried up this past weekend.

Jack Barling tried to water his plants Saturday morning, but only air came out of his drip system. The retired pastor and his wife soon realized their well had run dry.

As a short term fix, a neighbor is loaning them water through his garden hose. But they're using it sparingly, which means short showers, no laundry, and limited flushing.

Earlene Barling said, "So we're weighing our options, we either have to drill a new well, but the waiting list is from 6-9 months long or get an above ground tank to feed our pressure so that we can wash dishes and do laundry again."

The owner of Shannon Pump Company says at least 50 wells across the county have run dry, and many more could suffer the same fate as the water table continues to drop.

Watch the video for extended coverage from Action News reporter Sara Sandrik.