Residents in Kings Mountain are voicing frustration over what they say is undrinkable, foul-smelling tap water, and demanding more transparency from city officials.
A Change.org petition started July 11 by Sydney Gregory has gathered over 200 signatures from residents demanding free bottled water, stipends for water filters and for the city to stop billing residents until the problem is fixed.
"Every time I turn on the tap, I'm greeted with a terrible taste that makes it impossible to enjoy," Gregory wrote. She said the city wasn't providing enough updates on what chemicals they were adding to the water or how long the problem will last.
Comments on the city’s Facebook page describe the water as smelling like “moldy bread” or “dirt,” with some residents saying it burns their eyes in the shower. One commenter said her young son cried after a shower, thinking he couldn’t wash off the smell.
City officials have acknowledged the problem, saying the "earthy" smell and taste is caused by high levels of organic matter in Moss Lake, fueled by heat, heavy rain, stormwater runoff and past dredging.
In a statement Tuesday, the city said it has added extra carbon treatments, slowed the water flow through the treatment plant, suspended dredging and started flushing parts of the system to push out older water.
City officials stress the water is safe to drink and meets state and federal standards, but admit the taste and odor may persist while the city works on longer-term fixes, including new baffle walls and aeration systems. The city said those upgrades are awaiting approval from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.
The city has promised more updates as work continues, but many commentators on the city's Facebook page said it wasn't enough.
"We should have a reduction in our water bill," resident Michael Ellis wrote. "We pay a bill as expected to receive clean water and that it is not."
