MILTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – On August 16, Milton residents turned on their water and a brown-yellow flood poured out.

Local resident Shane Evans says this happens at least once a month.

“I just don’t trust it,” Evans said. “We just want clean water. If we’re paying the bills, they should have clean water. They shouldn’t be going to meetings and begging for clean water.”

Evans says he doesn’t trust the water and drinks bottled water, but he knows that won’t change overnight.

“It means everything,” Evans said. “It’s about what goes into your body. Not just mine. I mean, the kids who don’t know any better are drinking from the water cooler. What are they drinking? I don’t know. It’s a water cooler.”

Crews arrived early Monday morning to apply the chemical polyphosphate, which is designed to combat high levels of iron and manganese and prevent water discoloration.

City Councilor Dakota Miller says the city is doing everything it can right now and is making sure more chemists and engineers are helping.

“We will continue to work on it and continue to monitor the situation closely. The operators of the main water lines have been informed and are keeping a log,” said Miller.

The City of Milton received the results from CITCO chemists and Miller says all water levels are fine, but due to the drought the water is not flowing and therefore no longer circulating.

“For 12 to 13 days, nothing came over the overflow,” Miller said. “Thank God we had enough water.”

The samples the chemists took came from the Mud River and the water tanks. As of 2 p.m. Monday afternoon, officials said they had received only one call about brown water, compared to several in the past week.

All rights reserved.