FAQ

The graphic below offers an example of daily usage as well as how much water can be lost due to a leak.

Check your meter and the surrounding area for possible leaks. Next, call our office and report low pressure for your area.

Some possible causes of problems with water which appears dirty, has an unusual color, or sediment/particles include:

• Sediments or pipe materials from breaks in water mains or hydrants. Water mains in the distribution system can fail due to age, corrosion, high pressure surges, or damage by construction work. Hydrants can also be broken off by vehicles.
• High flows can occur in water mains due to fire fighting, water system tests, or maintenance. Unusual high-flow conditions can stir up sediment or scale from water mains.
• Construction activities: the customer’s service connection from the distribution main to the water meter is sometimes disturbed by construction activities of contractors or other utilities.
• Aging galvanized plumbing: rust particles or scale from galvanized steel home plumbing can also produce reddish-brown water or rust particles, particularly noticeable when a tap is first turned on.

Since there are many causes of dirty water, CWA investigates each complaint carefully. Please be prepared to answer the following questions when reporting this problem at 1-601-656-6171.

What is the location of the premises where the dirty water occurred?
When was the dirty water first detected?
What does the water look like? Does it have color?
Are both the cold and hot water dirty?
Is the water dirty at all faucets?
Are the particles large, small, or colored; does the water look milky or contain air?

The answers to these questions will assist us in finding the cause of the dirty water and may also suggest corrective steps to take. Our water operators respond to calls regarding water which appears to be dirty, colored or has foreign particles, within one business day.

Only chemicals that are approved by the National Safety Foundation for treatment of drinking water.

All public water systems are required to maintain a minimum chlorine level of 0.2 mg/L (tested at the end of each line) by state law. Systems that use chloramine as a disinfectant must maintain a level of 0.5 mg/L by state law. Our disinfectant levels are tested daily to ensure safety.

Most likely your water heater needs to be flushed. CAUTION: Most manufacturers recommend hiring a professional to flush your water heater. If you plan on doing this yourself, read the owner's manual to keep from being hurt and or damaging the water heater.

We may have received it after the due date or we may not have received it at all. Call our office and we will help you solve the problem.

If you come in by 3:30 p.m. all efforts will be made to activate service that same day or no later than 12 noon the following day. If it is imperative that you have service that day, and it is after 3:30 p.m., there will be a $50 service charge added to cover the overtime expense of our employee.

The meter is usually located on the front of the property and housed in a cast iron or plastic meter box marked WATER. To check the meter, put on gloves, and insert a tool such as a screwdriver in the hole and pry open the cast iron or plastic lid (do not use your fingers!).  The cast iron lid is heavy, so be careful when handling it. Set the lid aside. Before reaching in to the meter box, check carefully for insects or rodents. To read the meter, lift the cover and always replace the cover on your water meter when finished. Reading your water meter is similar to reading the odometer in your car. Read all the numbers from left to right that appear close to the center of the glass window.

The customer is responsible from the water meter to the house. CWA is responsible from the meter connection on the customer’s side of meter box back to the main line.

The water service is subject to be disconnected for non-payment any time after the due date shown on the left side of your bill.

Cloudy water could be a result of dissolved air in the water, which is a common and harmless condition. To verify this, place the cloudy water in a glass and observe whether it clears from the bottom up (you may be left with bubbles on the side of the glass and a small surface layer of bubbles). If this occurs then you have dissolved air in the water.

Your first step is to open an outside faucet nearest the entry point of water into your house. When that clears up, open another faucet, preferably the bathtub and let it run for a few minutes. This process should take  approximately 5-7 minutes. Many times cloudy water can be on the customer’s side and this should clear it up. If not, please contact us.

If the cloudy water persists, or if you are noticing unusual tastes or odors, please call 1-601-656-6171, and give us your address and a telephone number.

You should boil your water vigourously for one minute prior to consumption until the boil advisory is lifted. This process usually takes 4-5 days or until the Health Department ensures that all samples taken are clean and is certain that water is safe for consumption.

Meter readers from Central Water Association read your water meter monthly to collect your water consumption for billing purposes. If the area around your water meter is clear, our meter readers can quickly and accurately collect your meter reading information.

Unfortunately, if your meter is obstructed by objects such as cars, trailers, trash cans, etc., a meter reader will have to return to your property to read your meter. If Central Water has to clear a path to the meter you may be charged a service fee.

By keeping your meter box clear, you can avoid this charge. Additionally, a clear box makes it easy to ensure that the lid fits properly, is safe and can be quickly turned off in an emergency.

Here are some tips to maintain clear access to your water meter:
Trees, Bushes and Plantings

• Trim bushes, trees and grass that block the way or cover the meter.
• Minimize plants in the area which meter readers must travel to get to your meter.
• Remove all branches hanging lower than six feet over the meter box.

Pets

• Keep pets away from the path that leads to your meter.
• If you have a guard dog for security, please let us know so that we can make sure that our meter readers and other utility personnel are aware of this. We may ask that you arrange to confine the dog during the day that your meter will be read.