All MLGW customers under boil water advisory after freezing temps, loss of water pressure

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All Memphis Light, Gas and Water customers are under a precautionary boil advisory, MLGW announced Saturday at about 8 p.m.

That means all residents should boil their water before using it. MLGW said residents should not drink water unless it has come to a vigorous boil.

MLGW previously issued the advisory Friday evening for parts of Memphis and Shelby County but as the freezing temperatures and power outages continue, the utility company decided to enact the advisory for its whole footprint. Water pressure fell in parts of Memphis Saturday evening.

"MLGW is actively seeking and repairing line and main breaks," the company's press release said. "Once system pressure is restored, required regulatory testing will be conducted." The city-owned utility said there are five known breaks and it is actively looking for more.

MLGW CEO Doug McGowen said in a noon press briefing Saturday that the advisory, which at the time only applied to part of the county, could last about two days, lasting through Christmas.

In the briefing McGowen said "there are no detected problems with the water," and water pressure is back on the rise but it may be a "day or two" before MLGW can lift the water boil advisory.

"The majority of our pumping stations are doing just fine," he said. "I anticipate that when we have water breaks in homes and businesses we may again have some upticks in drops of pressure across our system, so we'll be keeping an eye out for that."

McGowen said MLGW is mandated to issue the advisory if the pressure drops below 20 pounds per square inch. He said normal water pressure is between 50 and 60 pounds per square inch but because of electrical interruptions and freezing temperatures, some pumps needed to be thawed.

MLGW issued the initial, localized advisory Friday evening after "experiencing multiple line breaks and water production issues resulting in pressure loss in (Southeast) and (North) Shelby (County)," a tweet from the company said.

Residents receiving water from MLGW should not drink or use tap water without bringing the water to a rolling boil for about three minutes and letting it cool before consumption, MLGW said.

The boiled, or bottled, water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparations, the company said. It also said tap water is okay for bathing as long as the water does not enter your mouth.

Rolling blackouts begin Saturday in Memphis, Shelby County

MLGW also asks residents to "curtail water usage in the impacted areas and to repair any ruptured lines in their homes or businesses."

"Water main breaks and water production issues are resulting in a loss of system pressure which can introduce disease-causing organisms into the water system," MLGW said in its advisory.

The organisms in the water can cause symptoms including nausea, cramps, diarrhea and headaches.

Freezing temperatures and ice took over the Memphis area Thursday evening and has continued into the weekend with temperatures as low as 16 degrees and wind chills below zero. As a result of the icy weather, MLGW said there has been a "significant loss of (water) pressure."

Nearly 300 crashes in about two days

As of Saturday at noon, about 131 vehicle accidents were reported in the last 24 hours but Memphis Police Department still is implementing the inclement weather crash policy. The policy states MPD officers will not respond to non-life threatening crashes.

Since Thursday around 7 p.m. there have been about 271 roadway accidents but it is unclear whether all the incidents were weather related, according to MPD.

MPD also could not immediately say how many of those crashes were responded to or how many people were transported to a hospital.

Dima Amro covers the suburbs for The Commercial Appeal and can be reached at Dima.Amro@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @AmroDima.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Light, Gas and Water customers under boil water advisory