KILLIAN, La. — Magnolia Water representatives met with Killian residents Monday, July 13, following a Fourth of July weekend water outage that left customers without service and led Livingston Parish officials to declare a state of emergency.
The outage came during a holiday weekend when Killian typically sees increased activity because of its location along the Tickfaw River. Residents were also placed under a boil advisory while service was restored.
During the meeting, Magnolia officials said the failure stemmed from a booster pump problem that required repairs to the system’s control panel. Company representatives said the town’s water system is more vulnerable to outages because it currently depends on a single well.
To improve reliability, Magnolia said it is planning a ground storage tank that could help keep water flowing during future repairs or equipment failures. Officials also discussed longer-term system improvements, while cautioning that rehabilitation work will take time.
Residents pressed the company on communication during the outage, saying information from customer service was inconsistent and, in some cases, residents had difficulty getting clear updates. Magnolia said it is working on better customer notifications, including an outage map and automatic alerts.
Company representatives also said Magnolia plans to keep bottled water on site as a backup resource if another major outage occurs.
The July 4 outage added to longstanding concerns in Killian, where residents have dealt with recurring water quality and reliability issues. Magnolia officials said they are working toward broader improvements, but asked residents for patience as upgrades continue.
