Drought conditions made life difficult for the Rock Springs community last year, forcing many of its residents to change their way of life as many of the wells in the community began to dry up.

The drought forced Rock Springs Baptist Church to put on hold the sacred ceremony of baptism.

"It was a real problem for the community," said Rev. Brian Harris of Rock Springs Baptist Church. "Much of the community was without water and was forced to look for other options. For a while it seemed things could dry out, but the Lord provides."

With the help of the Town of Blacksburg and approximately $315,000 in grants, the 110-home community could soon receive water service. Several homes in the community have already been put online to receive water, with Blacksburg Public Works crews currently putting in taps for residents while also finishing work on a main line on Rock Springs Road. One of the locations now receiving the precious resource is the Rock Springs Baptist Church, where service was restored two weeks ago.

"Blacksburg has been very good to us," Harris said. "We began receiving water two weeks ago and crews are making their way down the road. This is a very exciting time for our community and we can't wait for things to be done. They have been a blessing, and with all they have got going on are doing a great job. Every day we are seeing progress."

Another reason for the pastor's excitement is the church is once again able to conduct baptisms. The first baptism service will take place June 29, with one of Harris' sons taking part in the ceremony.

"It is already pretty neat that we will again be able to have baptisms at the church," Harris said. "But to have your son as one of those being baptized, the day is going to be really special."

A portion of the community is still not connected to Blacksburg water lines. Town officials are hoping to secure a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant to finish the project. The town is not expected to receive a decision on the grant until July.