HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. — Thousands of people in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas are going through nearly two weeks of dealing with water issues.
Wednesday, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders asked the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC) to expedite a $100,000 loan for the city to fix the city’s ongoing water system leaks.
“My administration is working quickly to help Helena-West Helena get its water system back on its feet. We’ve deployed the Arkansas National Guard to provide potable water to the community and sent officials to examine the issue. The city has already applied for this loan and I have asked the ANRC to expedite it," said Sanders in a statement.
Crews are working by the hour to restore pressure in the city after a technical failure stopped water pumps over a week ago. Helena West Helena mayor Christopher Franklin said the city's water tank level is the primary issue.
As crews are working to restore water, residents are being asked to conserve water. Officials said this latest disruption is a symptom of an outdated water system.
"It's just all hands-on deck even today on the fourth of July,” James Valley, the city’s chief of staff, said. "I won't be getting any ribs or hotdogs today. I'll be out here trying to solve these water problems."
While the residents in Helena-West Helena Arkansas would rather be enjoying the 4th of July, the holiday has become complicated for most.
"They say you can use the water but you can't wash your dishes in it,” Joyce Brown a West Helena resident said. “They say you can [bathe] in it, but if you got to boil it why would you [bathe] in it? It's a hassle, you know, you got to boil your water. You got to go get water."
About 10,000 people live in West Helena, which is about 50 miles south-west of Memphis. Those living in the small town have been without drinking water and dealing with low water pressure.
"We've had eight or nine major leaks like this one behind me,” Valley said. “It broke in two different places on two different days.”
City leaders said a computer system failure connected to the city's North tank caused the issue. Crews replaced and re-wired pumps last Sunday, June 25. However, the issues persisted.
This time, filter issues prevented the water from going through the proper treatment process, an ongoing problem that resident Joyce Brown said needs long-term resources to fix.
"We need money to get this done; send it to us,” Brown said. “This is a small community, and mostly, I'm sorry, mostly Black and you know we're going to need everything we can get.”
Officials expected water to be restored to full capacity late Tuesday afternoon or early Wednesday.
However, city officials said there are at least 175 known leaks in different areas, in a system nearly 100-years-old. Some worry about the immediate consequences.
"With our water levels being as low as they've been, it's been some days,” Valley said. "The fire department, without water, they can't fight fires. It's nothing they can do.”
Residents are advised to remain in 'water conservation mode' as leaders work to resolve the issue.
Also, residents are asked to only listen to updates about the water system failure from city officials. The following are officials Mayor Franklin pointed to:
- Mayor Christopher Franklin
- 870-228-2191
- Water Department General Manager Calvin Murdock
- 870-261-2849
- City Chief of Staff/Public Information Officer James F. Valley
- 870-816-7174