Today I was glad to report that our water system has returned to a normal operating status and normal system pressures, and I was able to lift the precautionary boil water order at 11:25 AM this morning. Additionally, we added more crews to our workforce and now have more than 100 crews, both MLGW and contracted, working on damaged areas of the system to get our customers restored. They are joined by nearly 80 tree crews who are clearing the way for restoration work, and hundreds of troubleshooters, engineers, logistics specialists, maintenance mechanics and system operators who are supporting the work. 

I understand how frustrating it is for our customers whose power hasn’t been restored. Help is coming. We have restored power to 94,000 of your friends and neighbors and are working to get you restored too. One complaint I hear is that “I haven’t seen any crews in my area.” The image below is a snapshot of where our crews are deployed doing critical restoration work. Our electric crews, troubleshooters and tree crews are colored in blue, red and green respectively, and they are joined by more than 60 contracted crews whose position is not displayed on this map. You may not see them on your street, but they are making repairs to the system that gets electricity to your neighborhood.

We will continue this work until everyone is restored. Despite our best efforts, there may be some customers who remain out of power into the weekend. That is not permission for crews to take that long, it is the unfortunate reality of the severity of damage that our community suffered. I will do everything I can to minimize that number. I am thankful to all of our municipal partners and non-profit agencies who are stepping up to provide needed respite and support to our customers in need.

 

Respectfully,

Doug
 

Memphis Light, Gas and Water is the largest three-service public power utility in the nation, serving the residents of Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee since 1939. MLGW consistently provides customers with rates that are amongst the lowest in the nation and stewards a water supply from artesian wells that is minimally treated. Actively engaged in promoting the prosperity of Memphis and Shelby County, MLGW supports the seven local chambers in its service area and makes doing business with local, minority- and women-owned business a priority. Deeply rooted in the community, its employees generously donate time and money in support of bettering the Greater Memphis area.