Frustrations Rise As Marion Faces Another Water Issue
The water outage to some customers in Marion could be resolved by tomorrow (Monday) afternoon according to the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. Parts to repair the cause of the outage are expected to be installed during the day tomorrow.
The city of just more than 3,600 residents informed customers of the outage Thursday afternoon. The notice pointed to two critical issues:
- A damaged primary pump and filtration component that had to be removed and sent for emergency repair.
- A major leak in the distribution system was also being located and repaired. This combination is causing low to no water pressure in many areas.
Get our free mobile app
Some homes were reported to still have water with very low pressure. Those residents are still asked to conserve and reduce usage to help stabilize the system.
The city's press release on the outage stated, ""The City of Marion is committed to keeping our community fully informed as we work to resolve the current water service disruptions. We understand the seriousness of this situation and want to provide a transparent explanation of what is occurring within our water system."
Marion has been coordinating with partner agencies to provide bottled water. They are being distributed at the Sowing Seeds of Hope Building located near the Perry County Health Department at 1728 South Washington at 1:00 p.m. each day as long as the supply lasts.
Water outages in Marion are a continuing problem with several outages in recent years. The problem in the city that serves as the Perry County seat is largely due to the age of the system and deferred maintenance over the years due to budget restraints.
During an outage early last year Marion Mayor Dexter Hinton estimated it will take $23 million worth of grants to repair the entire system. Some grants have been obtained but Hiton says obtaining the amount of grant money needed is a slow process.
Some citizens say they are fed up with repeated outages. One poster calling themselves "yikes bro. OP wrote, "Our pipes are very old and outdated. I know things happen and issues like this will pop up from time to time. My problem is that it has happened continuously for years. Sometimes more than once a year. And for days on end."
Marion is asking residents who experience further water outages problems to call 334-247-5344.
More From Tuscaloosa Thread
