JEANERETTE, La. (KLFY)- Residents of Jeanerette are speaking out about the conditions of their tap water.

Emma Washington, a resident of Jeanerette for 25 years, said there has always been problems with the water. Her granddaughter Laqvandra Gillian posted a picture on Facebook showing their bath tub full of brown water and how bad the water really is.

“Our water always has a smell. Like an off smell, sometimes it smells like blood, and sometimes it smells fishy,” said Gillian.

According to the family, sometimes the water comes out of the pipe looking clear, but after letting it sit you can easily see the contamination in the water.

Washington has even had skin reactions to the polluted pipe water.

“The water is so bad, to sometimes when I was getting in it, you know when it would be brown and it just irritated my skin and made it like a rash,” said Washington.

This consent problem makes the everyday task of bathing, washing dishes, and brushing teeth hard for Washington and her family.

“The color of it and the smell is very fishy. When it’s time to take a bath, half the time I can’t bath in it, you know I’ll boil water and put it in the face bowl and wash my body because I got to take a bath and clean up. And my grandkids I don’t even put them in it,” said Washington.

According to Jeanerette Alderman Clarence Clark, the problem is with the pipes themselves. When the water leaves the treating plant it’s in perfect condition but running through old pipes makes the water un-useable. With a lack of state funding, it’s hard to replace the pipes around the entire city but he says it something city officials need to push for.

If you are a Jeanerette resident experiencing poor water conditions call, 337-276-4587 in the event of a water emergency.