According to the Press-Dispatch, Petersburg Mayor R.C. Klipsch invoked a Declaration of Emergency at a special meeting on April 21st.
The declaration follows multiple water main breaks by the water tower, which are now happening on a regular basis.
Bob Burke, who has been working on the breaks, stated the pipe leading to the water tower is made of cast iron and is rotting.
He went on to say these pipes were outdated 20 years ago and it’s amazing they have lasted this long.
He also said they installed a shock absorber in the water tower to help with the surging problem.
Petersburg officials say the declaration of emergency will allow the city to speed up the bidding process and get work started sooner.