The City of Vicksburg could have running water restored as early as Friday night.
Mayor George Flaggs said he was informed that the repair would be a simple replacement and may only take a few hours.
“However, we are going to continue to operate as if it were 5 days, in case something were to happen in the meantime,” said the mayor.
29,000 residents relying on city water services have been without running water at home since Wednesday, following a break in the main line at the city’s water plant. The break was caused from pressure from the flooded Mississippi River.
Because the break was under 10 feet of water, the area had to be dammed up and water pumped away from the pipe before the repair process could begin.
Even though water could be restored, the pressure will continue to be low for the next 24 hours after it is turned on. Then, the water may not be drinkable for a week.
“Keep in mind, we have been inundated with flood water,” Flaggs said at a press conference. “Once water is restored, we will have to boil it for some time, but it will be fine for flushing and what not.”
The Department of Health will have to give the all clear before water is safe for drinking again.
Residents are encouraged not to run the faucets at full speed when water is restored.
“I encourage you to let them slowly run as we bring the water back up,” said Flaggs. “We don’t want to put more pressure on the system. We don’t want to open it up so fast that it has a backflow.”
Air has built up in the line during the outage, according to Flaggs, which could cause other ruptures if the pressure builds too quickly.
The following roads are also closed due to the rising flood waters:
- Ford Road
- Pittman Road
- Brown Alley
- Williams Street
- Jackson Lane
The Mayor added that the issue would not have been so hard to fix had the break not been under 10 feet of back water from the flooding.
The Mississippi River was measured at 5pm on Friday at 47.5 feet. Flood stage is at 43 feet. Cresting is expected Sunday at 48 feet.
Here is more from the City of Vicksburg regarding the restoration of water in the city:
