Shady Cove city officials on Thursday declared a state of emergency due to an ongoing water outage for several hundred residents served by the Hiland Water Corporation.

City officials activated emergency response from the Jackson County Emergency Operations Center and other agencies to coordinate relief for residents who have been without water since Monday.

Residents can continue to receive bottled drinking water at Jackson County Fire District 4 headquarters at 21200 Highway 62 until service is restored.

Beginning Thursday evening, bulk drinking water will be available from Hiland Water while repair work continues on the system pump that caused the outage.

Fire District 4 is providing supplies, in 5-gallon buckets, of non-potable water for toilet flushing and other purposes.

Mayor Jon Ball said the emergency declaration provided increased assistance to ensure for the safety and well-being of residents.

Hiland Water customers first reported a loss of water supply early Monday. The company, a subsidiary of NW Natural Water, is one of more than two dozen public water systems operated within the city.

Hiland Water officials estimated on Wednesday that repairs could take until Friday and possibly longer.

“As of this morning, I wasn’t seeing the progress I felt was needed in my reports that I was getting from NW Natural,” Ball said.

“I felt like, heading into these 100- and 105-degree temperatures into the weekend, we needed all the help we could get up here,” the mayor said Thursday afternoon.

Ball said city employees, community members and fire district employees had all stepped up to help. City employees, citizens — even Ball’s wife — were chipping in to help load water into residents’ vehicles at the fire station.

“We have a lot of elderly, so we’re very concerned about the shut-ins and our more vulnerable residents,” the mayor said.

“Bringing in the county, and by declaring a state of emergency, that helps bring in all those additional resources. Until we see the results that those customers of Hiland need, we have to try and take care of our residents.”

Steve Lambert, spokesperson for Jackson County EOC, said the city requested the county’s help on Wednesday due to the extended outage. County officials are helping to coordinate resources between various agencies and the city and fire district.

“Our primary focus for the past couple days has been in trying to get them the resources they need — mainly drinking water,” Lambert said Thursday.

Lambert said Rogue Valley Community Organizations Active in Disaster was providing added drinking water supplies and that the Red Cross is helping distribute water.

“We’re just trying to get the word out to the public that anybody who has been affected by this can feel free to go down to the fire station and get some water to drink, flush toilets, for bathing, cooking, whatever they need,” Lambert added.

“This is how emergency management works in the state of Oregon. It all starts at the local level, then the city steps in and, when the city’s resources are maxed out, they request assistance from the county, and then we can request assistance from the state if we need to.”

Local barber Sara Tauriainen, owner Beard’s Country Clips, said it was heartwarming to see the community and local government step up to help their neighbors.

When the water shortage was first announced, posts on social media cropped up with local residents offering to share water supplies with those who had none.

Wanting to help where she could, Tauriainen posted an offer for hair washing for any residents without water.

“Everyone loves their hair washed by somebody else. It just makes you feel really good,” she said.

“We have a really good well at the salon, so we’re all set on water. It was something we could do to help.”

She figured the community would make do as best it could for as long as needed. Tauriainen’s shop is located at 20975 Highway 62, “by the car wash.”

“We’ve actually met new people in the community who hadn’t come into my shop before. Everyone is helping each other get through,” she said.

“You would think they’d be prepared for a pump to go out and not have all these residents without water and businesses having to be closed for no water … We’ll help out with hair washing until the water comes back on.”