KILLIAN - The town of Killian's water system received one of the lowest scores on the state's new drinking water grading system, receiving a "D."

The failure is not a shock to residents.

"The color of it hasn't been what it should be lately. For the past two or three months it's been clear, but prior to that it was always brown or had an egg smell to it sometimes," resident Leon Vicks said.

Residents say the color, smell and pressure of the towns' water is often lacking and has been for years.

However, local elected officials say it has gotten even worse since a specific date.

"Over the past six months it appears that the water clarity and quality has declined greatly," Alderman Brent Ballard said.

Ballard and the rest of the Board of Aldermen were a bit more pointed in a statement they released at the beginning of the year, directly pinning the declining water quality to the installation of the new mayor.

The letter reads: "Since taking over the water system, the condition of the water system and quality of the water produced by the system have steadily declined in the opinion of the citizens of the town."

The letter also claims that the town's previous water system operator quit when Mayor Ronnie Sharp was elected, putting him in charge. They've been looking for a third party to take over ever since.

"We are working diligently together with the mayor to rectify the situation and come to a solution for the citizens of Killian," Ballard said. 

Mayor Sharp was not available for comment Wednesday.