Customers upset over CMU water bill increase

CANTON, Miss. (WLBT) — When it comes to water usage in Canton, many residents say their bill inaccurately reflects how much of it is being used

“The fact that we were paying one price then, now, without a warning or representation, the bill has gone up almost two and a half times,” said Corey Hall, a resident of Lake Caroline.

3 On Your Side spoke with residents who spent the day comparing their bills to previous ones they received recently.

“I got one of my bills here; it came in the mail. It was $49.29, and I logged into CMU to see what my bill was; it was $67 and some change. Both bills are dated August 1st, 2025. So, I don’t know what’s going on with that either,” said Justin Smith, another Lake Caroline resident.

Back in April, the CMU board announced that water and sewer rates would be raised by 25 percent.

That’s because they believe that rate will generate more revenue that would allow major repairs to be made and move the city forward economically.

Board members told us previously at a hearing that operating on the old grading system was costing the company millions of dollars.

“In actuality, when you look at it, it’s like 56 percent on the water, and they are adding an additional sewage charge. It’s going up to like 153 percent. That doesn’t seem right, and that’s where I think people are losing trust to do the right thing,” said Hall.

Residents in the Lake Caroline community say they can’t catch a break when it comes to CMU.

They expressed that having an increased bill on top of dealing with ongoing infrastructure issues is hitting their wallets.

“We get out here and pay money to live in a nice neighborhood, and we’re blessed to live here. We have nice facilities. This is just frustrating, not having any transparency. That’s one of the biggest things for us. We just want answers and be straightforward, and make it make sense,” said Smith.

“People have had brown water in the past. We’ve had sewage backup in homes. Those aren’t things that you want to deal with on a daily basis… The fact you get an increase on top of that is like an injury to insult,“ said Hall.

3 On Your Side did reach out to one of the CMU board attorneys about your concerns and frustrations.

They plan to share more details about your water bill rates in an interview Wednesday.

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