MLGW issues boil water notice for all customers
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Memphis Light, Gas and Water has issued a boil water notice for all of its customers.
MLGW CEO Doug McGowen says there has been a record-high demand for electricity and water this week.
McGowen recommends that you boil the water for at least one minute before consuming.
MLGW is also asking all customers to conserve water. Burst pipes are leading to low water pressure for some customers who get their water from MLGW.
A spokesperson with MLGW released the following statement Thursday night in regards to areas with little or no water pressure:
If you have a leak or broken pipe, call 901-544-6549 for assistance.
Shelby County Emergency Management will be holding water giveaways from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at the following locations:
- Shelby County Fire Station 62, 4647 Forest Hill Irene
- Shelby County Fire Station 66, 5469 Raleigh Millington Road
Two cases of water will be provided to each vehicle.
Despite the boil water notice and the ask to conserve water, McGowen still asks customers to drip their faucets to prevent any further line breaks.
MLGW says water pressure has been fluctuating around the coverage area.
They also say there have been 32 water main breaks since the storm, 31 of them have been repaired and 1,500 pipes have burst.
There is no ETA on when the notice will be lifted.
It doesn’t make much of a difference to Tony and Pamela Wells who have been without water since Thursday.
“I noticed about 6 AM, it was dragging,” said MLGW customer Tony Wells. “I said ‘Let me put some water in that bathtub. So I got it there. About 15 minutes later, it was completely gone.”
They say it’s not just them...their neighbors in the area of East Holmes and Riverdale Road are also out.
They hope the problem is fixed soon...but remain frustrated that it happened to them AGAIN.. after experiencing the same issue during December 2022′s ice storm.
“If they would do something in the off season versus waiting till something happens to do something, we’ll get better results. I was an educator. They give you this thing called the five P’s, proper, preparation, prevents, poor, performance. MLGW needs to look at that,” said Wells.
The Wells say they have reported their lack of water to MLGW.
Before this winter storm, MLGW told Action News 5 the utility’s wells have been insulated and winterized, heating installed to avoid freeze-ups, and additional pressure monitoring was available.
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