UPDATE — Leak located, repairs begin, residents still under boil notice and water still being distributed

By Paul Keane

The Wayne County News

Residents, volunteer firefighters and county officials all teamed up

Sunday afternoon to deliver and provide water to customers on the

Hiwannee Water Association system.

Many residents woke up Saturday morning to find they either had no water

or had very low pressure. An issue with the system was being addressed

by Hiwannee crews but the issue was still unresolved on Sunday.

Saturday afternoon, the Wayne County Emergency Management Agency reached

out to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. The state agency

provided 15 pallets containing 84, 24-bottle cases of water to the

county, a total of 1,260 cases or 30,420 individual bottles. Crews from

Kelley Companies traveled to Jackson to pick up the pallets and deliver

them to the Beat 2 Maintenance Barn.

Officials with MEMA were at the Beat 2 Barn Sunday during the

distribution.

Sunday afternoon, numerous residents stopped by to pick up multiple

cases to be delivered to residents in need of water. The Waynesboro

Walmart also donated cases of water to the efforts.

In addition, fire department tankers were being set up at the following

locations to distribute non-potable water to residents in need:

* Waynesboro Country Club --- the Coyt Fire Department tanker will be

at the location.

* Sunlight Missionary Baptist Church --- the Progress Fire Department

tanker will be available there.

* Denham Fire Department --- the tanker will be in front of the

station.

Residents can stop by any of those three locations and fill up jugs of

water for household use.

Hiwannee Water officials are continuing to work on the system and repair

the issues. The east side of the organization's system is its largest

with more than 1,000 customers. The organization also serves an area

west of the Chickasawhay River. Both systems are considered separate

from each other.

Early Saturday, many customers thought the low pressure was caused by

the fire at a nearby oil well that required a large amount of water to

be put out. According to county officials, water to battle that blaze

was taken from the large water tank located at Meadowlands Commerce

Park. That tank was full and was not being used by any customers.

Shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday, Wayne County EMA was informed that the leak

in the system had been located in the Patton Creek area near Highway 45

and Dyess Bridge Road. Officials with Hiwannee said it could take up to

24 to 36 hours to repair and restore full service.

Customers located closer to the leak will take longer to be restored.

The Wayne County Fire Department, Wayne County Board of Supervisors,

MEMA and many volunteers will continue to distribute drinking water and

non-potable water to those who need it.