By Billy Davis

A broken water well that caused chlorine problems throughout Crenshaw has been repaired, said Mayor Sylvester Reed.

“Some houses had too much chlorine and some didn’t have any,” said Crenshaw resident Lee Duncan, who described chlorine content at eye-watering levels in his home.

Duncan said he and wife Donna dipped their 3-year-old son, Curt, into bathwater on October 28 but took him out after five minutes due to the chlorine content.

“Every part of him that was in water had turned red, like he had been in water that was too hot,” said Duncan, who serves as the town’s fire chief.

Robert Andrews, who is under contract to police the water system, said the water problem began when one of two water wells broke down, leaving one well operating. Chlorine was then added on October 29 to the single working well but then was lowered the next day due to the high amount.

 “Everything’s going to settle down, but it’s going to take time to do it,” Andrews said, referring to the chlorine content.

Despite the high chlorine, the town did not advise residents to boil water. Reed said a boil water notice would have come from Andrews or the state Department of Health.

“That recommendation wasn’t so recommended,” the mayor said.

The chlorine problem amounted to the second water problem in the town after a water tank reportedly went dry some time over the October 25 weekend, leaving some residents without water. 

Three town residents described water-pressure problems to The Panolian, but Reed denied that the town residents had experienced any such problems.

“No,” he said, when asked if residents had experienced other water problems.

Crenshaw town government has been struggling with financial problems for some years, and the town’s old water system, along with the town’s fire department and police department, has suffered because of the financial woes.  

Duncan said the broken well, water-pressure problems, and chlorine problem is part of an ongoing problem that plagues the town’s residents.

“We’re paying for water you can’t drink. We already boil it,” he said. “Now you can’t bathe in it either.”