In Collinsville, it's not the look of the water that has neighbors troubled - it's the smell and taste. It's gotten so bad that some are leaving town to buy water, tea, and ice to bring home and keep cold.
Melanie Garrett has lived in the city for 56 years. She says the problem has gotten exponentially bad over the past five or so years, but now she can barely stand to touch her lips to what comes out of her kitchen sink.
City Management Pamela Polk says she's aware of the issue and has heard complaints from "20-40 homeowners." She says the problem is a seasonal one, and happens every time City Lake turns over. Polk says the city is flushing out its water system to resolve the issue.
"There's a lot of people that won't even take showers," Garrett said, turning on her shower to demonstrate the smell. "They feel like they've been to the lake, and they were cleaner when they went to the lake than they were when they took a shower because the shower smells so bad."
Neighbors even set up a meeting to discuss the water. The meeting will take place July 31 at 6:30 at the West Main Event Center. Two representatives from the city plan on attending.
