MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) – The main water line that services most of the west side of Meridian was ruptured Tuesday afternoon.
City officials say the line was hit by a contractor near North Frontage Rd. next to Georgia Pacific Tuesday around 12:30 p.m.
Mayor Percy Bland says they learned about the break when it happened, but the severity of it wasn’t known until Tuesday night.
Officials say “several thousand” Meridian residents are experiencing low water pressure or no water at all.
Although much of the western side of Meridian has been impacted, some residents in downtown Meridian have reported not having water. That includes the county courthouse and annex building so those are closed Wednesday.
City officials are hopeful to have the issue resolved quickly.
The city of Meridian issued a boil water notice for parts of the city just before 5:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.
At the time of the notice the City said around 3,400 customers were affected. This includes 20th Street south to the city limits and 38th Avenue west to the city limits.
The full notice issued by the city of Meridian is below:
Boil-Water Alert for Lauderdale County
Water system: 380005
Effective date: May 12, 2020
The City of Meridian has issued a Boil-Water Alert for customers who receive their drinking Water from their water supply located in Lauderdale County.
This affects approximately 3,400 customers from 20th Street South to the City Limits to 38th Avenue West to the City Limits that is serviced by the City of Meridian. This also includes any other individuals in or around this area that has lost pressure.
Water system officials notified the Mississippi State Department of Health of a pressure loss due to line break. When a distribution system loses pressure, contaminants can siphon back into the water. Public health officials consider any system that loses pressure contaminated until tests prove otherwise. Health officials strongly recommend that all water be boiled vigorously for one minute before it is consumed.
Citizens will be notified via Public Service Announcement or can call 601.485.1975.
