KILLIAN — Gov. Jeff Landry is being asked to step in after the town's mayor says an unsuccessful water system installation left Killian residents without water for about 37 hours.

Mayor Caleb Atwell posted a letter to the governor on social media, saying the town has followed all state directives regarding the court-ordered sale of its water system to Magnolia Water. The company bought a filtration system, but Atwell said a recent installation attempt failed and left people without water.

Atwell also said Magnolia raised water rates from $28 to $71 per month.

Magnolia began installing the system around March 2026. WBRZ previously covered Killian's issues with its water system, as residents have struggled with water quality for years. In 2023, Killian received one of the state's lowest scores in the drinking water rating system.

The following year, a state of emergency was declared due to the water system's failure. Thousands of gallons of potable water had to be brought in for residents to drink, bathe and cook with. 

Atwell said Magnolia has not answered several questions about the project. He wants to know when the company will try installing the filter again and what the plan is for fixing the rest of the distribution system.

The mayor also asked whether Magnolia will provide bottled water during future outages and if the company will communicate more clearly if problems happen during the next installation. He said residents need a clear timeline for when the full system upgrade will be finished.

Read the full statement below: