MLGW issues boil-water advisory for all customers
The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency will be distributing water Friday between 2 and 4 p.m., or until the water is gone, at Shelby County FIre Station Number 62 and Shelby County Fire Station Number 67. (Rogelio V. Solis/AP file)
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The boil-water advisory issued Thursday by Memphis Light, Gas and Water now covers all of its customers in Shelby County.
MLGW expanded the advisory indefinitely as water pressure worsened across its service area.
“We will be working on this for the next few days,” MLGW President and CEO Doug McGowen said.
Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and preparing food. Tap water is safe for bathing and showering.
MLGW customers should boil water for at least one minute before drinking it. Customers who suspect they have lead service lines should also let the water run for 20 seconds before boiling it.
There are a few reasons people currently don’t have water, according to the utility: frozen pipes; a leak between their location and an MLGW pumping station; or a cutoff while crews repair a leak.
There have been about 60 water main breaks and more than 1,000 reports of pipes leaking at homes and businesses since the storm started.
Customers can call 901-528-4465, MLGW’s emergency hotline, to report a water leak.
The precautionary advisory is in effect until the system’s pressure returns to normal and the state approves lab results confirming the water is safe to drink without boiling it. A water-conservation alert is also in place indefinitely as freezing temperatures strain local infrastructure.
The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency will be distributing water Friday, Jan. 19, between 2 and 4 p.m., or until the water is gone, at:
- Shelby County Fire Station Number 62, located at 4647 Forest Hill Irene Road
- Shelby County Fire Station Number 67, located at 944 Northaven Drive
At the beginning of the storm, McGowen advised everyone to fill containers with enough drinking water to last three days and to fill a large container with water to flush toilets.
“Now is the time to make use of that water,” MLGW said in a statement.
Sub-freezing temperatures will stick around through the weekend, so it’s likely that more pipes will break, lowering the system’s pressure even more.
Despite the low water pressure, customers should continue dripping water from their faucets. McGowen said it’s “a necessary evil during the low temperatures in order to keep your pipes from freezing.”
Arlington and Lakeland residents get their water from MLGW, so they are affected by the advisory.
About 80% of Millington gets water from that city, but the remainder of residents are served by MLGW.
Bartlett and Collierville have their own water systems and are unaffected.
Most of Germantown is unaffected, with a few exceptions: the Forest Hill and Crestwyn area south of Winchester; Maywoods Cove; and areas off Crestridge west of Germantown Road, like Cotton Plant, Woffington, Tamerlane and Eggerton.
Abigail Warren and Michael Waddell contributed to this story.
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Memphis Light Gas & Water boil water advisory winter weatherKeely Brewer
Keely Brewer is a Report for America corps member covering environmental impacts on communities of color in Memphis. She is working in partnership with the Ag & Water Desk, a sustainable reporting network aimed at telling water and agriculture stories across the Mississippi River Basin.
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