WATER EMERGENCY declared in two Arkansas counties as cold takes toll on supplies.
Authorities in Benton and Saline County declared a water emergency Saturday afternoon after the recent winter storms caused a series of burst pipes and depleted water tanks.
The city of Benton is requesting “tanker loads of potable water” from the Arkansas National Guard, according to a news release, with the city’s water supply at “an historic low.” Benton Utilities’ water distribution system has seen continuous water main ruptures and leaks since Wednesday, and snowfall and low temperatures have limited crews’ ability to repair the damage.
“There are water issues that extend beyond the customers of Benton Utilities,” said Jeff Arey, county judge for Saline County. “We see supply and damage problems in the unincorporated areas of the county also. Declaring the emergency is the best way to address the problem for everyone.”
Meanwhile, Central Arkansas Water’s request for customers to conserve water is still in place, spokesman Doug Shackelford said. The utility has been able to refill water tanks, but not to a level at which customers can resume normal usage.
Crews were repairing water main leaks Friday night and Saturday morning, and higher temperatures over the next few days could lead to more leaks as pipes thaw, Shackelford said.
“There’s potential that we could see more breaks, but as we find them, we’re fixing them,” he said.
Electric systems throughout Arkansas are returning to normal, with no more outages expected as temperatures rise.
About 10,000 Arkansas Entergy customers saw outages throughout last week,
but the company had only 38 outages in the state as of Saturday afternoon, spokeswoman Brandi Hinkle said.
“We encourage people to still be mindful of their usage, set the thermostat a little lower and be sure that you’ve winterized your home as much as possible,” Hinkle said. “That includes weather strips around your doors and windows, and extra insulation where you can, so that your heating unit is not working so hard to keep your home comfortable.”
Entergy and Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas both sent crews to neighboring states to help restore power there.
The co-ops also had only a few remaining outages, mostly in Northwest Arkansas, as of Saturday, spokesman Rob Roedel said.
About 15,000 to 17,000 co-op members were without power at the peak of the storm.
BLACK ICE
Arkansas is expected to return to normal seasonal temperatures in the 40s and 50s this week, but the temperatures will drop below freezing at night, said meteorologist Erik Green of the National Weather Service in North Little Rock.
These “big night-to-day temperature swings” could create invisible layers of ice on roads. Arkansas Department of Transportation spokesman Dave Parker said to expect this at least through today, especially as the rising temperatures melt the snow that has been shoveled into piles of 2 or 3 feet at the sides of some roads.
“Especially at night when the temperature drops, be a little extra careful on bridge overpasses when they refreeze,” Parker said. “What you might see as a clear road might have a little patch of ice on it.”
He also advised continued caution while driving in residential areas, where the roads are not the Department of Transportation’s responsibility and may remain slick.
Also, the snow that fell Monday and Wednesday has increased in density, Green said, raising the possibility of roof cave-ins.
“We haven’t had any major reports of that across the state, thankfully, but we will be monitoring that as temperatures continue to warm,” Green said.
He anticipated “minimal snow pack left” by Tuesday and Wednesday, when low temperatures are expected to be in the high 30s.