KILLIAN - Stained bathtubs, freshly washed clothes left dirty, appliances breaking because of rocks and sediment left behind by the water: all of it has been a reality for Killian residents for years.

Finally, the boil water advisories could end with the arrival of a new company called Magnolia Water, but some residents remain skeptical.

Savannah Harris bought her house five years ago, but for all that time, she hasn't drunk the water that comes from her tap. Compare her home to her hunting camp, and the differences between the two sources of water are stark.

"I was at my hunting camp this past weekend, and I'm like, oh my gosh, this water is so clear," Harris said. "That's probably why my face is breaking out so badly at home."

Along with Killian's mayor, Harris says she has the hardest job in town. As town clerk, she gets to hear all the complaints about the filthy water from residents, complaints she and her family are intimately familiar with.

For years, WBRZ has heard Killian's complaints, watching residents open faucets and find brown water every time.

Jennifer Normand Sweeny suffers too, saying the water from her faucet stinks.

"It's brown," Sweeny said. "It smells. You can't cook with it. You can't give it to your pets."

The residents' anger overwhelmed many past town council meetings, but even with the frustration, all previous attempts to fix the water problems have gone down the drain. Mayor Caleb Atwell agrees.

"The system is in a state of total disrepair," Atwell said.

In response, the Governor's Office of Homeland Security provided a 2024 plan detailing everything wrong with the system. It's outdated. Residents’ meters weren’t installed properly, so many people weren’t paying their water bills. Fixing it all, Atwell says, could have cost millions.

Now, a year and a half after asking the state for help, they finally brought in a new company, Magnolia Water, which promises to fix the system.

"News media had an impact on what happened with Killian and what's in that report," Atwell said.

When Magnolia Water takes over, the costs for customers will go up to a flat rate of about $65, in addition to possible other charges depending on usage.

That amount is more than double the original water rate, which was about $30. Then there are issues experienced by other towns where Magnolia took over. In Slidell, residents complained their water began turning brown after Magnolia Water began servicing their lines.

"It makes us worry," Sweeny said. "Is there really going to be a change, or is our bill just going to go up and nothing's going to happen?"

WBRZ reached out to Magnolia Water to get the company's side of the issue, but at this time, we have not heard back.

According to the report from the governor's office, Magnolia has twelve to eighteen months to make progress, and if they doesn't, then the state department of health can take the system back over.