Selma water update Thursday morning: Water leakage is at 'manageable level'

Selma’s water crisis is over.

In a statement issued Thursday morning, Mayor James Perkins Jr. declared Selma “is out of danger. … Our water supply is safe and usable.”

“We have managed to get the water leakage to a manageable level,” Perkins said. “Our water supply has been stabilized, and our tanks on the low side are at normal levels. The high side tanks are increasing as well.”

Perkins, who is also superintendent of the Selma Water Works, asked citizens to continue to conserve, “but normal use is fine.” Customers can drain their lines to remove brown water when their water service returns.

Perkins called workers at the Selma Water System and city workers who have worked to repair the water system "heroes."

“Finally, we need to be patient with our local plumbers; they are very busy right now,” Perkins said.

Thursday’s announcement ends several days of water crisis in Selma caused by pipe breaks due to very cold weather over the Christmas holiday. Selma water crews turned off main lines throughout the city starting Monday night to prevent more pipe breaks that have plagued the city during the weekend of freezing temperatures.

In a statement issued Monday evening, Mayor James Perkins Jr. said pipe leaks have increased as frozen pipes thawed during the day Monday, causing water tables to drop again.

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"This time they are dropping from already low levels and this is not good. The crews have been working all day just to keep up. Now we must take a more drastic step," Perkins said.

Water board crews will turn off main lines throughout the city in an attempt to further isolate major leaks that have been happening around the city this week as temperatures dropped below freezing.

"This means your water may be turned off at any time, and I cannot give you a time in which it will be restored. We will start in areas we believe are most suspect."

Perkins urged residents as they try to catch water to please limit the amount of water drawn so it won't make the problem worse. Also, when water is restored, brown water will be possible, but he said to resist the urge to flush lines because that will make things worse.

Perkins also asks residents and business owners to check properties, especially basements in the downtown area and sprinkler systems.

Churches should check properties and walk their blocks. "Look for puddles that should not be there. Listen for running water. Check ditch lines to see if there is more water than usual flowing through the ditch," he added.

Read more about Selma water lines breaking in frozen temperatures here.