Some of Vicksburg is without water

A waterline break has caused water pressure to drop off for most of the city of Vicksburg.

Around 4 p.m. this afternoon, water pressure had dropped in several homes. Water department crews began to check and discovered a main water line break near Holly Street and the train tracks. The line is either a 6-inch or 12-inch line and crews are working to cut off the supply of water to that line.

“Once we isolate the line we can check water pressures in various parts of the city. Long as the water doesn’t drop below 20 psi we will be alright,” said City Water Department Manager Dane Lovell. At the time of this writing several areas of the city were reporting no water at all indicating the probability of a boil water notice.

Crews work to shut off water to the waterline break. Photo by David Day

Charles Toney, at Toney’s Grill on 61 North, reported he was without water and would have to shut down for the night. Other locations in the city are reporting on social media that they too are without water.

Once the supply of water to the broken line is cut off, the rest of the city will begin to slowly regain water pressure.

Crews are optimistic they will shut off the flow of water and have the main repaired overnight, however, they are still struggling to find the main water shut off for the line. Until they do water pressure will stay low or non-existent for most of the city.

The Flaggs administration has been vexed with water supply issues since the #aqualypse of 2017 when the entire city was without water for several days due to a mainline break outside the plant. Most notable of the water supply issues was the winter ice storm in 2021 when city water pressure dropped off the chart and the city was without water. Main water line breaks have happened on Frontage Road, Pemberton Blvd, Rifle Range and most recently on Walnut Street in Vicksburg.

No one can say with certainty when the water will be turned back on.

The Vicksburg Daily News will stay on this story and keep you updated with any new information as it happens.

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Edited at 7 p.m – within minutes of this story being published the leak was isolated and water pressure started to return.