MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Light, Gas and Water said Tuesday that the precautionary boil water advisory has been lifted for all of its customers, effective immediately.
MLGW said that means there are no restrictions on the use of drinking water supplied to MLGW customers. The utility said the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has assured water safety standards have been met.
The precautionary boil water advisory was issued after the freezing temperatures caused water main breaks and pipe leaks, leading to low water pressure in the water system.
What should MLGW customers do next?
- Turn on the main water valve if it has been closed.
- Flush any faucet a minimum of two minutes to ensure clearing of the line serving the faucet.
- Begin with the faucet that is highest up in your home or building and then open the other faucets one at a time moving from the highest floor to the lowest.
- Discard any ice made during the boil water notice.
- Check water filters (in faucets, refrigerators and elsewhere) and replace if necessary.
- Owners and managers of large buildings should ensure that their entire system is flushed and that storage tanks are drained and refilled.
If the water is discolored:
- Flush water pipes by running the water until it is clear.
- Do not wash clothes if the water is discolored. Wait until the water runs clear at the tap. Wash a load of dark clothes first.
If you have questions, contact MLGW’s Water Quality Assurance Lab at 901-320-3962, or email waterlab@mlgw.org.
A water conservation order for the City of Memphis was lifted Monday.
What lead to the advisory?
In a conference on Sunday, Jan. 21, MLGW said the cold temperatures caused pipes to break in the water main on Thursday, Jan. 11. At that time, the Boil Water Advisory affected about 15% of MLGW customers. MLGW said they discovered more breaks and, on Friday, Jan. 12, the advisory changed to include all customers.
As of press time Sunday, MLGW said 4,000 customers had their water cut off due to these broken pipes and they had repaired 41 broken water mains.
Ninety-five fire protection systems either burst or were turned off as well, according to MLGW.
When the Advisory was first issued Thursday, MLGW said there were no reports of any impact on water quality, but any time water pressure drops below 20 psi, a precautionary boil water advisory is required.
What about the suburbs?
The Boil Water Advisory is only for MLGW customers. Many of the suburban cities have their own water system.
The city of Bartlett has its own water system as part of the Engineering Division. The department provides water service to the 20,000+ properties within the city.
While the City of Germantown has its own independent water system that is not connected to MLGW’s system, there are some small areas of Germantown that do receive water from MLGW. That includes Egerton Lane, Woffington Lane, Tamerlane Lane, Harrod Cove, Jermyn Cove, Crye Crest Cove, Cotton Boll Cove, Cotton Boll Road, Cotton Plant Road and May Woods Lane. To check to see if your home is under the precautionary boil water advisory, visit mlgw.com/boilwateralertmaps.
Collierville water customers were NOT included in this order; this includes homes, apartments, and businesses in the Town limits. The Town of Collierville has its own independent water system that is not connected to MLGW’s system.
Millington Water Dept. was NOT under a precautionary boil water advisory. If you received a separate water bill from the City of Millington; you were NOT under a boil water advisory. Only residents who live in northwest Shelby County and receive a MLGW water bill are under the advisory.
Lakeland gets water from MLGW, so it was included in the Advisory.
Arlington gets water from MLGW, so it was included in the Advisory.
Water conservation request
Before the winter storm hit, MLGW recommended customers get drinking water for each family member and fill a large container or tub with water to flush toilets and for cleaning. They said Friday this is the time to make use of that water.
"If we experience larger areas that lack water MLGW will coordinate with Shelby County’s Emergency Management Agency and the City of Memphis’ Office of Emergency Management to determine the need and coordinate a response," said the utility in a statement.
MLGW said crews are working to find and fix leaks in the system and restore normal water pressure to everyone.
This all comes comes after an announcement from MLGW early Thursday asking customers to immediately "avoid non-essential water use until further notice."
MLGW said Wednesday night there had been an increase in customer leaks and broken water mains as temperatures rise. In a notice Thursday, MLGW said demand increased over the past 24 hours, causing low pressure in some areas of the system.
"We understand that customers are dripping their faucets to prevent frozen pipes, but as temperatures rise above freezing between 1 and 5 p.m. today (Thursday), customers can stop dripping their faucets and start back when temps go below 32 degrees. This will help maintain water system pressure," said Thursday's news release.
MLGW said commercial and industrial customers who do not use water to produce goods or services should limit use to 75% of their typical usage.
MLGW said crews repaired 49 broken water mains since Saturday, and were working on 10 others as of Friday afternoon. MLGW said water production, treatment and pumping operations were at full capacity, but leaks downstream were affecting system pressures.
Commercial customers and property owners are asked to check their property for leaks, including irrigation systems.
Customers should turn off water at the street if leaks are detected. Any customer seeing water coming from the surface of the street or areas of pooling water should immediately report a suspected water main break to 528-4465.
Those with leaks in their homes should use the main valve to shut off the water service and can call 901-544-6549 if they are unable to do so.