Since the newspaper went to press this week, this story has been updated to include comments from the administrator for the Ethel Rural Water Association.
Ethel city water
According to Ethel Mayor Gwen Sims, city residents experiencing rusty water have construction and summer weather to thank.
Sometimes the increased water pressure in the line by more usage in the summer will dislodge rust in the pipes. Other times, the older pipes or the joints connecting them fail.
“We had a break on the sidewalk project and then blew out one of the fire hydrants they were replacing,” she told The Star-Herald. “All it is, is iron built up in the old cast iron pipes. Pretty much any rural town you go to in Mississippi is going to have problems like this.”
Sims said city officials would happily replace the old pipes if funds were available. Most grant funding requires that a community put up 50% of the cost, she said, something the city simply cannot afford.
“It is hard to get a grant for something like this. Most of them are 50/50. To replace all of this would be several million dollars and we don’t have our share,” Sims said. “So when something happens, we replace that pipe,” removing any old lead joints in the process.
Most of the time, all it takes for a resident to have it fixed is a phone call.
“But people don’t call. They complain on facebook, to their family, to their friends,” she said. “Whenever someone calls, we will figure out which line you’re on and which hydrant to flush in your area. But if I don’t know, I can’t do it.”
Sims said city residents with water issues can call city hall Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon at 674-5222. After hours, you can call Sims directly at 792-6860 and leave a message.
Ethel rural water
Some Ethel Rural Water Association customers are also experiencing rusty water, according to administrator Galen Shumaker.
"It isn't dirt in the water. With no rain in a couple of months and everybody trying to keep their lawns green and needing to water their livestock people are using more water," he said. That increased usage and pressure within the system often dislodges iron built up in the pipes, leading to the dirty-looking water.
Like Sims, Shumaker said the simple solution is to call the association office at 674-5353 and they will flush out the pipes in the area of the issue.
Asked about overall water quality of the rural system, Shumaker said the iron and manganese content is normally right below the threshold for requiring a treatment plan.
Of the four different rural water associations Shumaker oversees — Ethel, Sugar Creek, French Camp and McAdams — Shumaker said only McAdams currently requires a treatment plan. In that case the association is required to filter and aerate the water and additionally chemically treat the water before is is released to the users.
