From staff reports

Discoloration in the drinking water of some Tallula Utility District customers has caused the Mississippi State Department of Health to issue a boil water notice for residents in Filter and Onward.

The mishap, blamed on unchlorinated water seeping into the line, comes as the last few residents of the small Issaquena County community were waiting to be hooked up to a new water system that promised clearer water. The expansion, paid for with $337,000 in grants and loans, was an upgrade from the rusty water from shallow wells. Thirteen miles of pipe were laid to provide water to customers in the southern part of the community. The final step in the upgrade will be the addition of a new well, expected to be complete next month.

The seepage occurred in the southern part of the system, but includes all customers who see discoloration, a release from MSDH said.