Two of three air compressors at the Vicksburg Water Treatment Facility quit working after a severe thunderstorm passed through the city a week ago, leading the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to approve $13,000 in emergency spending Friday to order two new compressors.

“It has no adverse effects on the city water supply. There’s not going to be any boil notices or anything like that,” said water plant Superintendent Pat McGuffie. “The only effect it has is on the operations of our lime-sludge removal.”

McGuffie said a new compressor the water plant had on hand in case of an emergency has been installed to assist the lone remaining pump in removing lime sludge. He estimated the two compressors on order should arrive in two to four weeks. The compressors aid in the pumping of lime sludge to a de-watering building, and are vital to the plant’s operations. They had not been replaced since the plant was constructed on Haining Road in 1968, said McGuffie.

“We produce so much sludge our operations could very easily be shut down without them, but we’re operating as normal with the two compressors in place,” said McGuffie.

The board was forced to declare an emergency Friday to avoid having to abide by a 30-day bid rule on city purchases.