Most Memphis Light Gas and Water customers without water should have it back at some point on Monday and the system-wide boil water advisory could be lifted Thursday.
Speaking at a press briefing Sunday afternoon, Doug McGowen, cautioned that the Thursday goal is a conservative estimate but said pressure in the water distribution system is steadily rising.
“I expect that we should be able to reach system pressures by Wednesday that would allow us to take samples,” he said.
Sampling and testing is necessary to determine that no contaminants entered the system during the dips in pressure. The testing can take up to 24 hours.
Over the past several days MLGW crews have been working to contain the fallout of prolonged subfreezing temperatures in Shelby County that resulted in dozens of water main breaks and thousands of burst pipes in homes and businesses.
The ruptured infrastructure led to an unsustainable loss in overall water pressure, prompting an initial and limited precautionary water boil advisory on Thursday that was then expanded to all MGLW customers on Friday.
In some areas of northwestern and southeastern Shelby County, water pressure dipped so low that some customers have been without any flow for days.
McGowen advised businesses that have closed due to a lack of water that sufficient pressure could return Sunday night or throughout the day on Monday.
A small number of customers, he added, would have to wait until Tuesday.
“Pressure is going to keep building, more and more function will happen so please continue to check,” he said.
As temperatures peaked above freezing on Sunday, MLGW said customers could stop dripping their faucets to protect their pipes, which could save about 10 million gallons of water a day.
McGowen said that the utility is better positioned this year to cope with a prolonged weather event like the current one because of investments that have allowed it to pump more water into the system.
Still, he said more capacity is needed and that MLGW is planning to add four or five more wells this year.
“We know that is key to success – is having more supply to push out,” he said.
He noted that 28 other water systems across Tennessee have also had to resort to boil water advisories as a result of really cold winter weather.
