Earle water restored after pipe collapses

Mayor Smith advises city still under boil order until further notice

By DON WILBURN

donaldfwilburn@gmail.com

Townsfolk in Earle are _nally seeing their water service return after a major pipe collapse left the city dry, but a boil order remains in effect as of_cials continue testing the water supply.

The crisis began Thursday night when an eight-inch water pipe collapsed, causing a signi_cant leak. By Friday morning, city workers shut off the water supply to make repairs. By that time, the city’s water tower had emptied, leaving a single well as the town’s only water source.

Mayor Jaylen Smith declared a 30 day state of emergency Friday, citing the urgent need for infrastructure improvements. In a social media post, Smith emphasized that the city’s water system has been patched up for years, but his administration is committed to making lasting repairs. He also stressed the importance of Earle having its own backup water tower to prevent similar emergencies in the future.

By 6 p.m. Friday, crews had successfully restored water service, though pressure remained lower than usual. By Saturday, service had largely returned to normal, but the boil order remains in effect until of_cials receive test results ensuring the water meets health and safety standards.

The mayor’s of_ce has urged residents to continue boiling water for the time being saying on Monday to “be advised that the boil order remains in effect until further notice. The results have not been released to me at this time. Once we receive the results and they meet the necessary standards, the boil order will be lifted. However, until then, the boil order remains in place.”

For those in need of bottled water, Smith encouraged residents to contact the mayor’s of_ce at 870792-7300 or reach him directly at 901-652-0331.

While water was restored within 24 hours residents are still advised to boil their water.

Photo courtesy of Facebook