Written by: Diamond Paylor
PORTERVILLE, Miss. (WTOK) -Residents of Porterville have been having ongoing water outages for a week, and on Monday night, the Porterville Volunteer Fire Department was packed to the brim with residents seeking answers.
Members of the Porterville Water Association were grilled by frustrated community members, as several of them are forced to pay such high water bills but are unable to enjoy their water for weeks and months on end.
Some of the reasons that were brought up for the water being out were a mixture of water leaks, broken pipes, or a motor being out, but residents agree that it’s not an excuse for them not being able to fix the issue.
One resident in particular, Mr. Willie Thompson, has been without water for 9 months and has to rely on other ways to get water for himself and his family.
“We would have to haul it, we already couldn’t drink that water, and so we would have to haul water to drink with, so now I got a tank I got in there to pump inside the house, and I got to keep it filled up, I got an electric pump that makes it come in the house.”
He feels that he doesn’t need to continue to pay a water bill, especially since he’s been without.
“I told them that I was going to wait until my water came back on to start back paying, but they told me I wouldn’t be a member, and they would still charge me, and I didn’t want them to lock my meter cage.”
When asked if residents were going to be receiving a credit on their water bills since they are unable to enjoy their water, the board declined to answer and instead said that they will work on a solution to get their water issues fixed as soon as possible.
Brenda says that she expected last night’s meeting to go in a different direction, while also expressing that it’s not right for the water association to expect them to pay their bill when they can’t enjoy their water.
“No, we shouldn’t be paying any water bill. We shouldn’t be paying a water bill. As a matter of fact, we’re paying two water bills because I buy my water to drink with, I use this water to cook or bathe with, but why would you pay a water bill you’re not getting the water? You can’t drink the water. You are paying two water bills anyway.”
“I expected them to say y’all, we won’t have a water bill for next month. That would have soothed some of our problems. But they could, as they say, they are trying to do this. You got to, you can’t try, you got to do it. You all talk and no action, that’s not good. If you talk with it and you ain’t doing it, what’s the purpose?”
When asked if residents were going to be receiving a credit on their water bills since they are unable to enjoy their water, the board declined to answer and instead said that they will work on a solution to get their water issues fixed as soon as possible.
Brenda says that she expected last night’s meeting to go in a different direction, while also expressing that it’s not right for the water association to expect them to pay their bill when they can’t enjoy their water.
“No, we shouldn’t be paying any water bill. We shouldn’t be paying a water bill. As a matter of fact, we’re paying two water bills because I buy my water to drink with, I use this water to cook or bathe with, but why would you pay a water bill you’re not getting the water? You can’t drink the water. You are paying two water bills anyway.”
“I expected them to say y’all, we won’t have a water bill for next month. That would have soothed some of our problems. But they could, as they say, they are trying to do this. You got to, you can’t try, you got to do it. You all talk and no action, that’s not good. If you talk with it and you ain’t doing it, what’s the purpose?”
Mr. Willie said he would have to wait and see if the Porterville Water Association would credit his money due to so many people speaking on his behalf.
Residents of Porterville have been having ongoing water outages for a week, and on Monday night, the Porterville Volunteer Fire Department was packed to the brim.
