Memphis Light Gas and Water lifted a multi-day, precautionary boil water advisory for all customers Tuesday afternoon,two days earlier than officials initially estimated.
State regulators confirmed that water quality had not been compromised by low pressure levels in the water distribution system, the utility announced Tuesday.
Subfreezing temperatures in Shelby County last week resulted in dozens of ruptured water mains and thousands of busted pipes in residential and commercial properties causing unsustainable dips in water pressure.
When pressure drops below a certain threshold, it raises the risk of contaminants entering the system, prompting the boil notice.
MLGW advises those who experience any discoloration in their water flow to allow the faucet to run until it’s clear.
Earlier in the day on Tuesday, MLGW President Doug McGowen briefed the City Council on the impacts the mid-January Artic blast had on the local water system.
He said 81 water mains broke and crews responded to roughly 4,000 burst pipes in homes and businesses.
“That is a lot of water leaking out of our system. It’s an unfortunate byproduct of very cold temperatures, old and exposed, uninsulated water systems that we have in homes and businesses,” McGowen said. “This is why I asked everybody to please pay attention to your cut off valve, make sure you pay attention to your vacant and abandoned properties so we don’t have water leaking all over.
Upgrades – like the investment in more water wells and winterizing infrastructure – that the utility has made over the past several years helped blunt the impact of this year’s subfreezing temperatures, McGowen said.
“While we had some areas with no water, it would have been a lot worse if we had not made those investments – there would have been a lot more no water areas,” he said.
With extreme weather likely to continue in the coming years, McGowen emphasized the need to continue investing in infrastructure like wells.
This post has been updated with comments from McGowen's presentation to City Council.