CAIRO Illinois residents say the city’s tap water doesn’t look safe to drink after some new changes from the water company.
Cairo citizens are now getting their water supply from the ground, rather than the Ohio River, due to repairs at the water treatment plant. Many say they are not happy with the quality of what they’re drinking.
“I started to sweat and my stomach turned,” says Cairo resident Isaac Hill. “I couldn’t really keep nothing down.”
Hill says the tap water made him sick.
“It’s clear that this water is not safe,” he continues. “It’s not healthy. It’s not just me that is drinking the water. You got kids and senior homes around here. The water is in bad shape.”
He says the water has been this way for almost two weeks. Other residents are now refusing to drink the water, which has forced them to turn to other options.
“It’s kind of like living in the desert,” explains Hill. “You go to the local store, there is a fight for the water now. So instead of being in Cairo, it’s like being in Cairo, Egypt for real.”
His family has had to spend extra money just to buy clean drinking water.
“It’s dirty, but it smells too. It smells like bleach,” says Issac’s wife Katrina. “I feel like they should pay us because we are going out paying for waters and why should we have to pay a water bill.”
Officials at Illinois American Water apologize for the inconvenience of the water treatment plant repairs, but assure customers the water is safe.
“It may be different than water from the Ohio River, but it is safe to drink,” says spokesperson Terry Mackin. “We made this decision because we wanted to ensure that Cairo had uninterrupted water services. We wanted to make sure the customers in Cairo turned on their tap and that water came out.”
Illinois American Water officials say they plan to have all the repairs made within the next three weeks, bringing back its normal water supply from the Ohio River.
Ian: as usual, water officials say everything is OK.
