VIDALIA — While progress is going slower than Mayor Hyram Copeland may like, the Vidalia Riverfront is slowly and surely getting back to its pre-flood state.

“The cleanup process is still ongoing,” Copeland said. “Right now, we are (on the riverfront) unclogging the drains to take care of it before we get any rain.”

Copeland said while the drainage system is being cleaned and prepped for use, crews are having a hard time with some repair work on the riverfront’s sewage system.

“We are having to repair a sewage line out here,” he said. “As we dig farther to repair it, water keeps coming up on us. More than likely we are going to have to wait to fix this.”

Copeland said the water level is supposed to drop below flood stage of 48 feet Wednesday, and that after then, a lot more work on the riverfront can begin.

“We are hopefully going to be able to start cleaning the streets and parking lots before then,” he said. “The businesses on the riverfront are also starting to move back in and get things ready for reopening.”

Copeland said Promise Hospital started moving personnel back in and cleaning up Friday, and Riverpark Medical Center and Comfort Inn Suites will be starting that process Monday.

“They are just trying to get everything back into operation,” Copeland said.

Hesco Bastions were removed from the front of the four riverfront businesses to allow entrance into the facilities, but Copeland said the remainder of the instant levees and sand won’t be removed until the city bids the project out July 12.

“All of that sand has to be removed from the riverfront,” he said. “And we still have problems with Hesco baskets in front of businesses blocking the road.”

Even with the roadways being partially blocked, Copeland said the city is looking to open all the businesses at the end of next week.

“What we are probably going to have to do is put some traffic control officers out there to manage everything going on,” he said. “We are probably going to only be able to have traffic coming in from one way.”

Copeland said the utilities to the riverfront are all restored, with the exception of a small sewage area at the north end.

“We are working to on that to try and come up with a temporary solution,” he said. “But with the personnel moving in and the power back on, I think we will be back in operation next week.”

Copeland said it is still too early to tell if there is any damage to the streets or parking lots, or if there is any erosion or soil damage, because the water is still too high.

“It will be another several days before we are able to tell what is going on with that,” he said.

Copeland said with the bidding for the Hesco Bastion removal set for July 12, he hopes the riverfront is back to its original state in approximately two months.

“That is when we hope to have everything back to where it was originally,” he said. “Once the Hesco baskets are removed we can access the problems and the issues, but we have to go through the process.”

Copeland said that while Vidalia has been declared under a “category B” emergency measure, meaning the parish will only be reimbursed for any protective measures it has taken against the flood, it has yet to be declared under a “category A.”

A “category A” measure reimburses local governments for debris removal after an emergency.

“Even though it hasn’t happened yet, I am pretty positive it will happen before the end of next week,” Copeland said.

Copeland said the City of Vidalia has been hard at work getting everything back to normal, and that he is optimistic things will continue to go well.

The river in Natchez sat at 51.12 feet as of Friday afternoon. Flood stage in Natchez is 48 feet. The National Weather Service in Jackson has predicted that the water will drop below flood stage on June 25.