Pipes in Vicksburg buildings and a few underground lines have cracked during the early January cold snap, sending city workers and private plumbers scurrying to make repairs.

Crews from the city’s public works department have fixed two underground lines since the weekend on Morning View Drive and also repaired one on Patton Street, said Bubba Rainer, director of public works.

“The bigger problem is not necessarily our system,” Rainer said. “Our stuff is usually far enough underground that we avoid big problems unless it’s really cold for a really prolonged period of time.”

More frequent are calls to turn off the water at private businesses, warehouses or homes where exposed pipes have ruptured, he said.

Those busts have also meant business for local plumbers.

Neil Ferrell of Grey Plumbing said his company’s crews were en route to repair leaks at several local businesses on Monday. “We’re running all over the place,” he said.

Piazza Plumbing & Air had received about 25 calls for service on burst pipes by early afternoon, Johnny Piazza said.

Meanwhile, line breaks led two county water districts to issue boil-water alerts for customers.

The Eagle Lake Water District advised 50 customers with homes located from Sea Island Drive to the main line levee to boil water “vigorously” for one minute before consuming it.     

The Yokena-Jeff Davis Water District issued a similar boil-water notice from 2970 Redbone Road to Jeff Davis Road; from 4865 Jeff Davis Road to 6837 Jeff Davis Road; and all of Mallett Road, Burnt House Road, Calvin Road, Campbell Swamp Road West End, John Russell Drive, Friar Road, Dement Drive and Muirhead Road.

Elsewhere in the state, numerous water line breaks in Jackson forced schools and businesses to close on Monday and prompted Gov. Haley Barbour to declare a state of emergency in the city.  The state Capitol, where state senators and representatives have convened for the second week of the legislative session, was without water because of a water main rupture.

Damaged underground sewer and water lines are common this time of year as soil conditions, cold weather and additional flow in the system take a toll on the city’s clay pipe system, which Rainer said is about 100 years old.

Rainer said Vicksburg’s water plant was processing water at a rate of 17 million gallons per day on Sunday night, compared to an average daily rate of 6 million to 7 million gallons. 

Frigid temperatures also played an indirect role in the deaths of two Mississippi Department of Transportation workers on U.S. Highway 11 north of Lumberton on Monday. 

The workers were attempting to clear ice from underneath a railroad trestle when a vehicle slid on the ice and struck them.

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Contact Ben Bryant at bbryant@vicksburgpost.com