Another delay as Lyons residents continue to deal with brown water

LYONS, Neb. -- New valves -- and a solution to the four months of dirty water in a northeast Nebraska town -- were expected to arrive today.

But as of Wednesday afternoon, the city of Lyons said the parts were still in Kansas.

Shipping delays have been putting a hold on the cure. People in the town have been unable to wash their clothes in their water and have been purchasing bottled water for drinking.

Utilities Supervisor Terry Ueding told News Channel Nebraska last week that the town's old water plant had been in place since 1978. Over the decades, it's become rusty and started leaking. After a quick-fix temporary solution of cementing down leaks wore away, the state officially gave Lyons a deadline to replace the filter plant by December of 2022.

While officials say it's not dangerous, they do note that it is a terrible-tasting substance that residents cannot use to wash whites, bathe in, or use for many other chores.

Though city officials say it's safe, some residents are taking safety into their own hands and testing the water themselves.

"I don't trust the city utilities," resident Eric Schrader told NCN yesterday.