Our city was once again hit this week by two more examples of Vicksburg’s aging infrastructure.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen learned the city will have pay about $1.3 million to match state funds to replace a damaged clarifier at the waste water treatment plant on Rifle Range Road, and city utility officials issued a boil water notice for residents in the area around Cedar Hill Cemetery because a waterline on Zollinger Hill broke.

We have in the past done several articles on the city’s aging infrastructure, most of it in excess of 100 years old.

We’ve quoted city officials on their concerns about the water, sewer and storm drains traversing under the city, and reported cases where those damaged subsurface lines have cause sinkholes requiring massive repair jobs; sometimes where private contractors must be hired because the damage is too deep for city workers to safely work.

We’ve printed photographs of excavations at some of these sites where workers found nothing but air between the street and the damage, because the supporting soil was sucked away through a hole in a pipe.

It’s time for the board to consider a utility bond issue to start fixing our water, sewer and storm drain lines similar to the capital improvements bond issue they passed that has funded street paving projects and other improvements to city buildings either underway or just beginning.

The city’s sewer system will need repairs under an Environmental Protection Agency consent decree. The water treatment plant on Haining Road needs repairs to its electrical system and its aging clarifier system.

A bond issue could provide that money without affecting the general fund.

When it was discussing the capital improvements bond issue, the board discussed including a bond issue for utilities decided to wait until 2018.

At the time, it seemed like a wise decision, but given the situation with some of our utilities, the city should re-examine that position.