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Water worries! Crisis prompts help from multiple quarters for thousands without water service

It has been all hands on deck this week as private citizens, government officials, businesses, and organizations garnered the resources needed to provide residents with safe drinking water.

The water crisis developed when brutal below-freezing temperatures burst water mains, resulting in low-water pressure or no running water for some 38,000 Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division customers.

The crisis sparked a countywide boil-water advisory that was still in effect Wednesday (Dec. 28) afternoon.

Rodney Peterson, a Hickory Hill resident, was one of the thousands of customers who had to deal with the full impact of the crisis.

“We have been without running water for some days now. It really is true that you don’t miss your water until the well runs dry. I’m just happy there are places in Memphis where you can at least get bottled water,” Peterson said Tuesday (Dec. 27) while joining dozens of people lined up outside of Hickory Ridge Mall to receive cases of bottled water.

Hickory Hill and Southeast Shelby County are designated as two of the hardest-hit areas. 

Here are the latest developments Wednesday afternoon:

  • MLGW President and CEO Doug McGowen said the utility is closing in on completing repairs to damaged water mains across the city and water pressure is back to normal. The pressure normalization allows the utility to collect and test water samples. He said, “The next step is when will the boil advisory be lifted … I want it lifted as soon as we possibly can.”
  • MLGW announced nonessential water use is allowed again. Under its drought management plan, the Memphis-owned utility prohibited non-essential water use, including car washes.
  • Local Tennessee legislators said they will explore ways to, among other efforts, help MLGW with infrastructure funding when the new legislative session begins next month.
  • The Memphis City Council Wednesday announced free water distribution sites beginning at 2 p.m. The locations are District 1, New Raleigh Civic Center, 3384 Austin Peay; District 2, Bert Ferguson Community Center, 8505 Trinity Road; District 3, Hickory Hill Community Center, 3910 Ridgeway; District 4, Fire Station 22, 2690 Lamar; District 5, Pink Palace, 3050 Central; District 6, Ruth Tate Senior Center, 1620 Marjorie, and District 7, Hollywood Community Center, 1560 N. Hollywood. Call 901-636-6786 for more information.
  • The Shelby County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Kroger Delta Division, and Tennessee Valley Authority teamed up to distribute over 38,000 bottles of water to Shelby County residents impacted by the boil water advisory. The giveaway was scheduled for 2 p.m. through 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Warehouse, 6393 Haley Road.
  • Representatives from the Reaves Law Firm helped out with MLGW’s water distribution at First Baptist Church-Broad, including donating $8,000 to cover the cost of 160 cases of water.

McGowen’s water-pressure announcement should give residents like Hickory Hill’s Peterson hope that their suffering should be at an end or end soon.

“We were just over at the community center, getting water to flush the toilet,” said Peterson. “One purpose for using water is just as important as the other. I am thankful for what anybody does for me, but we’re just ready for this nightmare to end.”

A city public works crew gave out non-potable water Tuesday to assist families in flushing the toilet. Memphians from across the city came to the Hickory Hill Community Center to get the untreated water.

“Many of the people we have talked to have water pressure issues in their homes,” said Public Works Director Robert M. Knecht. “We just never anticipated the low temperatures that caused freezing and main breaks. A lot of breaks occurred on the private side, in vacant buildings. You never can tell what Mother Nature is going to do.”

A group of volunteers from Lowe’s in Collierville stood outside of the Hickory Ridge Mall in frigid temperatures on Tuesday afternoon to offer cases of bottled water to those in need.

“Our corporate foundation is called ABLE, A Better Life for Everyone,” said Collierville store Manager Russell Hubbard III. “We want to show support for those who have been so affected by this water crisis. We are thankful for the ability to reach out and help our neighbors.”

Whitehaven resident James Moore said the water was a God send. 

“It has only been a few days, but I guess it seems like we have been without drinking water for a month,” Moore said. “We appreciate these young people who are out here working so hard to help the situation. 

“My granddaughter lives in South Memphis. They have been without running water for a few days now. So, they came over to stay with me until water is restored.”

Lowe’s offered residents as many cases of water as they requested, with larger families receiving as many as five cases.

Lavon Smith works in Hickory Hill but lives in Whitehaven. She said the free bottled water was “a big blessing” for which she was grateful. (Photo: Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell/The New Tri-State Defender)

“I just ran over here to pick up some drinking water,” said Lavon Smith of Whitehaven. “I work in this area, and it was convenient for me. Thank God we are only dealing with low water pressure. Other families around us were not so lucky. They don’t have running water at all.” 

For many, the situation has been a bit more stressful. The presence of small children without running water has caused unsanitary conditions.

“There are four small children in my household,” said Beverly Crane. “My mother also lives with me, and there has not been any running water. I had to take my mother and two of the youngest children to my cousin’s house to stay. 

“We haven’t been able to flush the toilet for five days now. It seems like our city officials would have prepared for, at least, the possibility of something like this happening. It has happened before, but it just was not for this long. This is such a hardship on our family.”

Lowe’s offered residents as many cases of bottled water as they requested, with larger families receiving as many as five cases. (Photo: Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell/The New Tri-State Defender)

Knecht said crews from public works will be out “for the next couple of days” offering non-potable water, which can be used to flush the toilet only.

Potable water, which is water suitable to consume, may be used to drink, prepare food, brush, and bathe.

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