Holly Springs Utility customers share concerns following boil water notice

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Holly Springs Utility Department water customers have been under a boil water notice for three days after the city announced a major water main break that could have contaminated tap water.

The water main break has forced residents to purchase bottled water or boil their tap water for basic daily activities.

“Its been rough,” said Holly Springs customer Adam Davis. ”Normal everyday stuff that you’re going to have to do. Now you’re gonna have to put out extra money to go get clean water, or to have to boil."

The water emergency comes three months after the Mississippi Public Service Commission found that the Utility Department in Holly Springs and the surrounding area was not providing adequate service to customers.

Davis said he witnessed customer frustration at the utility department this week over billing issues.

“There was a lot of irate people this week at the utility department,” Davis said. “They had withheld payments for three months, and were only charging people usage rates of like 89 dollars. So all of the sudden, now in December, people are getting bills for 17 hundred dollars, 25 hundred dollars.”

One customer who asked to not be named says the employees are not to blame for utility issues.

“It’s not a issue as far as the workers at HSUD,” he said. “We’ve got some extremely talented individuals that work there. But some of the issues happen to be outdated equipment possibly.”

Following years of infrastructure issues, residents say they hope the Holly Springs Utility Department can receive resources to fix water and electrical problems.

“There’s a lot of money that I think needs to be poured into it to be able to fix it. It would be nice if we could get some help from somebody to step in to try to balance out everything so that it isn’t all on us,” Davis said.

Holly Springs Utility Department will lift the boil water notice as soon as water quality samples are cleared by the state. Public Service Commissioner Chris Brown also released a webpage with updates on the area’s ongoing utility crisis.

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