Power’s out. Better check on the water.
In the past, threats to the area’s water supply were rare. But, in recent years, local power problems have been the driving force behind water crises.
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In the past, threats to the area’s water supply were rare. But, in recent years, local power problems have been the driving force behind water crises.
An “event” at a Memphis substation led to power outages in North Mississippi, low water pressure in parts of the Bluff City and flaring at Valero Energy Corp.’s local refinery. Now, the Shelby County Health Department is monitoring the situation for potential health impacts.
Rate increases funded research, which showed MLGW’s concerns were warranted. It found there are more holes, or breaches, in the aquifer’s protective clay layer than previously thought.
A burn-off at the Valero Refinery in Southwest Memphis coincided with an unspecified substation problem, that resulted in a voltage to drop across the service area.Related story:
Memphis Light, Gas and Water wrapped up its week-long recovery efforts Tuesday, July 25, after restoring power to all but 17 customers, who should be restored soon.
In addition to infrastructure, the council approved two more years on the Memphis Showboats contract and discussed a late-term reappointment to the MLGW board by outgoing Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland.
According to the police report, the suspect — a 56-year-old woman — said: “At least you have power,” and “Your husband needs to retire.”
In the past year and a half, outages have impacted 800,000 customers; that number is the equivalent of every MLGW customer losing power twice. Related stories:Related story:
About 216,000 Memphis Light Gas & Water customers lost power in recent days due to high winds and thunderstorms. By Saturday evening, the number was below 17,000.
On Friday afternoon around 1:30 p.m., another line of storms crossed the Mississippi River. As of 12 a.m. Saturday, MLGW was reporting more than 42,000 customers without power.
Results of the water sample testing were initially expected Saturday, but that was before an overnight power outage at the Memphis Light, Gas and Water testing lab.
“In some cases, we’re seven, eight, nine years behind. We have got to get back on schedule, and we will. The City Council has already approved this. My board has already approved this,” MLGW’s CEO said.
The majority of outages remaining from Tuesday’s storm are in six clusters: Raleigh, Frayser, Berclair, East Memphis, Germantown and Hickory Hill. Related story:
Normal Station has been one of the areas hardest hit by power outages, but modernizing the community’s electric equipment has resulted in a 50% improvement in reliability.Related story:
Straight line winds downed 11 power poles on Winchester Road, knocking thousands off the grid. Lightning also tripped breakers at utility substations, which McGowen said “had a pretty dramatic impact that we don’t typically see.”
Historical data from MLGW shows the worst storms in its history, based on the number of customers who lost power. More than a third of those happened in the past year and half. Power outages spike Tuesday during severe thunderstorms, heat advisoryRelated story:
The area is under a severe thunderstorm watch until at least midnight and an excessive heat warning Wednesday from noon to 8 p.m., meaning the heat index could reach 112 degrees.
“As a member of the community that works in Memphis but lives in Arlington, I certainly have strong feelings about having a more responsive utility for suburban communities,” Butler said.
If MLGW had met its tree-trimming goals, trees would have caused an estimated 25 circuit outages in 2020, according to utility President and CEO Doug McGowen. Instead, they caused 120.
By Wednesday evening, fewer than 500 MLGW customers were dealing with outages.
Collierville Mayor Stan Joyner called the latest outage ‘a gut punch’ to those already affected. MLGW President and CEO Doug McGowen said weather-related repairs delay long-term reliability improvements. ‘I don’t want customers to lose hope’: Second week of storms knocks out power for 35,000Related story:
Another weekend storm with winds up to 60 miles per hour has left crews with more downed trees and power lines to address.
Some suburban residents are still dealing with power issues related to the devastating June 25 storm this holiday weekend, including some who already endured a week without electricity.
Even after the sun sets, there won’t be much of a break from the heat, especially for the remaining Memphis Light, Gas and Water customers whose power is still out.Related story:
A press release issued by MLGW Saturday, July 1, said the organization has found several underground faults that must be repaired before power can be fully restored.