South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman said Thursday that residents experiencing any problems with the new sewage and water lines installed in the southern portion of Vicksburg should report them to the city immediately.

&#8220If somebody sees something, they need to let us know. The city will go out,” he said. &#8220It’s under warranty right now.”

City officials announced at a Monday board meeting that work to bring fire hydrants and new water lines to the area that includes Redbone Road, Warrenton Heights and Singing Hills had been completed.

One resident, Ronald Wahl, who lives on Kendra Drive in the Warrenton Lakes subdivision, said that it isn’t so.

&#8220There are parts of it that are complete,” he said. &#8220But, the yards are damaged from construction activities and laterals are sticking out of the ground. That’s the city’s responsibility. The overall project is not complete.”

The city promised residents higher water volume and more fire hydrants after the 1982 annexation petition, which wrapped up in 1990 with 21.5 more square miles entitled to city services in exchange for paying city taxes.

Beauman said the contractors, Hemphill Construction and Allen & Hoshall Ltd. Architects and Engineers, have a one-year warranty period to allow for any problems that need to be repaired. If those are brought to the city’s attention, the contractors are obligated to make the needed repairs.

Work has been under way for about five months. On Monday, officials finalized the project by approving amendments to upgrade fire protection, approve a contract on the construction of the water lines and authorizing Mayor Laurence Leyens to execute a certificate of final acceptance and final payment to the construction company.

Beauman indicated that the contractors’ job is complete – unless problems arise.

But, Wahl said work that the contractors should have done has been left behind.

&#8220They’re responsible for cleaning up the neighborhood,” he said.

It’s now up to city crews to come in and connect the individual meters to the new water line. Beauman did not give a projected time that the work would be done.

&#8220It should be relatively very soon,” he said.

Wahl said he called Public Works Director James &#8220Bubba” Rainer, who, too, offered no time line.

&#8220These people have waited 17 years,” Wahl said. &#8220They can do better than this.”

The lengthiness of the project is partially due to problems with Bowie River Construction of Hattiesburg, the company with which the city originally contracted, Beauman said.

&#8220We had a tremendously bad time with the previous contractor. We were going to hook up from Kendra Drive as a phase II-type plan, but we didn’t want (that company) to do it,” Beauman said. &#8220We got Hemphill (Construction) to do it, but that old water line broke day after day. So, we added to the contract and it became a little bit more major.”

Wahl said fire hydrants have been installed, which is one part of the project the city promised as part of the annexation.

At least two separate fires have destroyed homes in the area. In at least one case, firefighters had to hook hoses to hydrants on neighboring streets.

Municipal standards require a hydrant every 1,000 feet, but most are 300 to 500 feet apart.

Annexation nearly tripled Vicksburg’s size, adding areas mostly along U.S. 61 to the south and to the north. Before 1990, the city consisted of about 13 square miles.

To report problems, call the city’s department of public works at 601-631-3711.