County Officials Work With Windsor After Water Problem

County Officials Work With Windsor After Water Problem

By David Howell

Editor

OAKLAND – A boil water notice was issued on July 25 for the county-operated water system that supplies Ajinomoto Windsor Foods after the routine monthly water sample showed the possible presence of total coliform bacteria. As a precaution, production at the company ceased production until July 27, when a subsequent water sample showed the problem had been fixed. 

Supervisors discussed the issue during the “first Monday” meeting in preparation for a meeting with company officials in Oakland at 1:30 p.m. Board President Cayce Washing-ton explained that the county’s water operator first learned on July 20 that the monthly samples submitted to the Mississippi Department of Health (MSDH) on July 18 indicated a possible problem.

Washington added that the county’s water operator was following health department guidelines when he retested the water, submitting additional samples to MSDH on July 21 to make sure the first samples were accurate. When the subsequent samples also indicated the presence of total coliform bacteria, MSDH issued the July 25 boil water notice and Windsor was immediately notified of the problem.  Coliform bacteria are a commonly used indicator of sanitary quality of water.

“From my understanding, the amount of chlorine was not sufficient,” Washington explained, adding the problem was traced to a crack in the line that feeds chlorine into the system.  

“The system showed it was all working,” Washing-ton said about the internal indicators monitoring chlorine input at the tanks located on county-owned property adjacent to Windsor.  

Following the discussion Monday morning, supervisors and Rep. Tommy Reynolds traveled to Oak-land after Windsor officials requested the meeting to discuss the problem.

The meeting then reconvened Monday afternoon as supervisors, Board Attorney John Crow and Rep. Tommy Reynolds met for an hour to address the company’s concerns.

Windsor manufacturers high-quality specialty frozen foods for consumers, commercial restaurants and foodservice operations and the Oakland location is one of nine plants in six different states.