SALEM, Indiana — One southern Indiana man is speaking out Monday after he said residents have endured unsafe tap water for years.
“I’d rather drink coke than this," Bob Fletcher said. “It’s just nasty. I have not drunk ice water; I know out of my tap water for seven or 8 years”
Fletcher said over the past decade, the drinking water in Salem, Indiana has been awful to smell and taste. Somedays, the color is unpleasant too.
“My water right now is that color right there behind you,” Fletcher said, pointing to bottle filled with clear water. “It was a light chocolate color.”
Fletcher and his neighbors have reached out to city officials and Salem Water Works countless times. However, they said their concerns typically fall on deaf ears.
He said he didn’t get the answers he’s been looking for until he received a utility bill in the mail in September. Inside the envelop were results from Salem’s 2022 Drinking Water Quality Report.
The notice lists several instances where the city failed to test its tap water. Because of this, it says Salem’s water may contain contaminates.
“I counted 10 violations,” Fletcher said. “So, what is the city water department, what are they going to come up with now for an excuse?”
WHAS11 reached out to the City of Salem about the report. In a statement, officials said:
“The Mayor and the City are aware of the issue regarding instances of water discoloration. According to water testing, the City understands the water to be safe for public use and testing will continue to be performed. Action has been taken to address the source of the instances of water discoloration and City officials expect this issue to be resolved promptly.”
However, Bob said he’s heard that time and time before.
“It’s okay it’s okay, blah blah blah, we’re working on it,” Fletcher said, mocking city leaders. "They need to fix this and stop giving excuses."
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.