Dozens show up to discuss water woes in Saltillo

SALTILLO, MISS. (WCBI) – A large crowd turns out for a public hearing on problems some customers are having with dirty water from the city of Saltillo.

There were plenty of stories from customers on the Saltillo water system about dirty water.

Some even bringing samples of tap water from their homes.

David Rainey says ever since the city switched from river water to well water, last September, discolored water has been a recurring problem.

“We started having, periodically, discolored water, brown water, heavy chlorine smell, things like that,” David Rainey said.

Experts say the city has two options to deal with the issue created when the water supply was switched last September.

Option one, to put filters on the current system, that will cost about $1 million.

Option two would be to switch back to river water, at a cost of about $100,000.

Early in the public hearing, also a special called meeting, Alderman Copey Grantham made a motion to put those customers impacted by last September’s switch, back to the river water source, which is the same water used by residents in the city of Tupelo.

Dedra Rainey says she just wants clean water once again.

“My husband and I have lived here almost 15 years and we just really started having this problem back in September,” Dedra Rainey said.

Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley organized the public hearing.

Brandon Presley says the board voted Thursday night 3 to 2 to change the water supply back to the river.