Nearly 30,000 people are without water in and around Vicksburg. As MPB's Alexis Ware reports the outage could through the weekend.
A dam is under construction that will allow workers in Vicksburg to gain access to the city's water main. Residents are without water following a break in the city's clean water pipe. The 36 inch pipe is underneath 12 feet of backwater from the flooded Mississippi River. Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs says the dam is almost finished.
"There's tremendous progress on the dam. We're less than 30 percent to completion of the dam. However, we have to always be prepared for breach of a dam or whatever. The next thing we will do is probably go in and pump the water out."
Following the removal of the water, Flaggs says the pipe also has to be dug out of five feet of dirt. He says the River is expected to crest on Sunday.
Vicksburg Fire Chief Charles Atkins says it's important for residents to avoid burning while the city has no water.
"As far as the water shortage as far as the fire department is concerned we don't want no more ground burning no burning outside leaves anything of that nature until we can get water flowing back to your houses."
The city of Vicksburg and donors from surrounding cities are providing water to citizens at several locations. Rossie Gray is a resident of Vicksburg. As he waits in the distribution line for more water to arrive, he expresses his concerns.
"I can kind of put up with it you know it's just I think about my kids. They ain't got no water, and so that's where my mind mostly is on my kids. They ain't got no water."
Flaggs says people should have access to water within five days.
