MEMPHIS, Tenn — On Tuesday evening, MLGW said the low water pressure affecting some areas of Memphis will return to normal soon.
At around 7 p.m., MLGW said an "event" at an MLGW substation caused a drop in voltage across their distribution system, which impacted their water pumping stations and caused "low pressure in some areas."
The water pumping stations are returning online, and the pressure will be back to normal shortly, according to MLGW.
MLGW said this event has not affected water quality.
On Wednesday afternoon, MLGW provided a statement about the incident:
"On July 25, 2023, a substation fault occurred while MLGW employees were performing a routine switching order at MLGW Pidgeon Substation 82. The fault caused a significant voltage fluctuation throughout the county and a large, sustained load drop throughout the MLGW system. The voltage fluctuation also had an adverse effect on several MLGW water pumping stations which resulted in low water pressure for some customers.
The MLGW transmission system is connected through the TVA transmission system. Any large-scale transmission event may be seen throughout the TVA footprint and beyond. Valero Refinery is part of MLGW’s transmission system and may have been impacted by this event.
We are still investigating the total impact of the fault."
On Wednesday evening, the Shelby County Health Department confirmed that the flames and smoke at the Valero Refinery were caused by the power surge.