‘What is it doing to us?’: Milford residents voice concerns over city water turning brown

MILFORD, Neb. (KLKN) — Several people in Milford are voicing concerns about their water quality.

They say they’ve noticed the poor quality for over a month now, and they’re tired of paying for it.

“It’s been ongoing for a couple of days here this week,” said Allissa Gurnsey, who lives in Milford. “It’s been off and on throughout the month. But it has been going on throughout the year.”

The concern about poor water quality has echoed throughout the community.

Many took to social media to raise a red flag about its safety.

“Showering, I mean, not knowing what’s in it,” said Gurnsey. “I had to take a shower in it two days ago because I had to go to work, and we needed to bathe. Concerns on what’s in the water, what’s getting on our skin, what is it doing to us, and what does it do when we drink it?”

For Allissa and Alex Gurnsey, doing everyday chores like feeding their animals, doing laundry, or even washing dishes seems questionable.

Especially when it’s been causing a change in the color of their clothes.

Another big issue is how much more they’re paying for low-quality water.

“It only adds to the frustration,” said Alex Gurnsey. “Our bill has almost doubled. They raised the rates, so we’re paying more and getting lower-quality water. Then, when concerns are raised, we don’t get much of an answer, we don’t get a plan.”

The city of Milford’s Maintenance Supervisor, Gary TeSelle, said the water is coming out brown because the many chemicals used to treat the distribution center are mixing and settling at the bottom of the pipes.

And when usage across the city goes up, the water comes out brown.

Crews have been flushing hydrants to fix the issue temporarily, but they’re not sure when the problem will be permanently resolved.

“We’re meeting all of our regulations. It’s safe,” said TeSelle. “Would I drink it? Probably not. People started watering their yards early, and all of that kind of stuff. It caught us off guard a little bit, and we were just behind on the 8 ball, keeping it flushed out.”