Charlestown residents meet with new water company over brown water issue

CHARLESTOWN, Ind. (WDRB) -- Brown water from the taps is something Charlestown residents have gotten used to, but now, many of their questions have been answered in person.

Indiana American Water held an open house Wednesday to introduce itself as the area's newest neighbor who is tasked with clearing things up.

The water company purchased the Charlestown Water Utility from the city in March for $13.5 million.

“We shouldn’t have to deal with that problem,” said Loren Christman, who has lived in Charlestown since 1975. “I filter all the water I drink. Have to change the filter about every three weeks. It’s just black slime.”

With the new accusation, customers’ bills have increased, which the company said is common, but residents say if they pay more, then the water should be crystal clear ... how it’s supposed to.

“We have a number of ideas that involve thoroughly flushing the distribution system, cleaning up service lines that the customers have,” Indiana American Water Operations Manager Bill Reedy said.

New pipes and hydrants are some of the first changes being installed. More permanent fixes will be installed over the next year.

The company has already spent $700,000 in upgrades since March, and more is coming until a permanent solution can be found.

Tobin Williamson and Kate Snyder live in Louisville but are moving to Charlestown in June. They did not know about the water issue until friends told them, and they're hoping the issue is resolved sooner rather than later.

“The responsibility of municipal governments and state governments is to ensure the health and safety of its citizens, and we feel that insuring that water quality is adequate and healthy is a big part of that,” Williamson said.

Reedy said the water company is asking residents for patience, and they hope the issues will be resolved soon. However, some say a lot needs to be done to clear things up.

“Unless Charlestown or the American Water wants to put in a filtering system or another water source, they are not going to solve the problem,” Christman said.

Indiana American Water plans on keeping customers updated every couple weeks through their bills and on social media.

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