NATCHEZ — Magnolia Grill and the Under-the-Hill Saloon may not have to close their bathroom doors even when the water reaches its crest.

Normally the sewage system at Under-the-Hill would not have operated when the Mississippi River reached 53 feet or higher. But since a seal was added to the system to hold river water out, the sewage system can function as normal, City Engineer David Gardner said.

Gardner said in preparation for a 64-foot crest, the City of Natchez installed a synthetic epoxy coating on its drainage system Under-the-Hill that should block river water from infiltrating the sewer system.

He said the sewer lift, which is located in a brick building on the riverside of the road just south of where the Isle of Capri sits, is now sealed off from river water.

“Before the water was coming from the ground in the river and infiltrating in. Now (the system) its sealed, so it wont do it,” Gardner said.

Gardner said manhole lids were also sealed with rubber gaskets to prevent floodwaters from overflowing the drainage system.

The epoxy coating, which cost $25,000 to acquire and install, waterproofs the inside of the system’s walls, which contain raw sewage that is pumped up the hill to a lift station at the top of Silver Street.

“We want (the seal) to be there permanently,” Gardner said.

The control station of the lift is still at risk, but Gardner said that area will be sandbagged.

“If we can keep water from getting into (the control) area, then we stand a good chance of keeping the pumps on indefinitely,” he said.

Gardner said the epoxy coating is a long-term investment for the city.

“We won’t get the money back this year, but more importantly it keeps businesses open, and that’s what it’s all about,” he said.