Liberty Utilities, the Pine Bluff water supplier, has responded to the state Public Service Commission’s demand for a report on problems in the water supply there in the recent freeze.

The full report is here.

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In short, it blames the loss of pressure primarily on the weather and on breaks on individual customers’ property from the freeze and is addressing this by locating those breaks and turning off the water at meters until the problems are corrected. It found 252 breaks, the report said.

Identifying and repairing leaks was delayed by snow and vacant buildings in Pine Bluff also presented problems.

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The report says Jefferson Regional Medical Center today has sufficient water pressure to operate. It said UAPB has continuing problems because of breaks on its system and “Liberty-Pine Bluff Water is continuing to support the University as it repairs its facilities.”

Leaks are continuing which increases demand and the volume of water production necessary to maintain sufficient pressure.

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Reports by KARK from PSC records indicate the agency has noted loss of water from the system since 2018 and that the amount of loss water increased significantly in 2019. This is a counterpoint in settling liability questions to what will likely be the utility’s effort to blame problems on a force beyond its control — the weather.