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There must be something in the water or at least something about the water in the community of Shady Grove. Chris and Ann Ainsworth grew up drinking the water in Shady Grove. The next thing they knew, they were married and found that they wanted to stay in the community for the rest of their lives. Both agree that while it doesn’t seem possible, they’ve also been working for the Utility District for almost twenty years.
Ann laughed and said, “There are a lot of the younger folks who don’t remember anybody working here but us.” Chris followed up by saying, “I remember being one of the young guys at certification training, but now we’re the old folks.”
The water system was established in 1964, and had a major rebuild in 1984. Their present office was built with surplus funds from that rebuild. The Utility District is governed by an elected Board of Commissioners. Both Chris and Ann are quick to point out the value of their Board. Chris stated, “Our Board has a good mix of experience and new ideas. The Board has diverse perspectives, but shares a common goal of providing quality water at the lowest possible price. Ann and I feel fortunate to be working for them.”
There are four employees working for the District. Chris is the System Manager/Operator and Ann is the Office Manager. Additionally, Tony Shaw has worked there for six years and works in field maintenance. Janice Walker has worked for five years in the office as a clerk. “We work together and treat one another like family,” Ann said.
“Actually, we consider everybody on the system to be family. We are a small system, so if we drive by and see something unusual, it is not uncommon for us to stop and knock on the door, just to make sure everything is okay,” Chris said.
The system has approximately 850 meters and, with the exception of a new elementary school, they are all residential meters. Their four wells pump ten million gallons per month. The system has a 75,000 gallon elevated storage tank and a 150,000 gallon standpipe. So their storage is more than adequate for their needs. In addition to the water system, the employees are responsible for maintaining a sewer system for about 300 customers.
Last year, the water system replaced more than 100,000 feet of water lines. “We replaced quite a bit of A/C pipe, as well as upgraded the size of the pipe. The cost of the project was around $1.3 million,” Chris said.
“We take care of our system in house. We make our own taps, locate our lines, and do our own short line extensions. About the only thing we would contract out would be the major rebuilds or tank maintenance,” Chris said. “But, even though we try to take care of everything in house, there are times when it is more than we can handle.”
Every rural water system in the state can tell you stories about Mississippi Rural Water coming to the rescue. Oh sure, the training and certification is critical, but the stories will likely be about the assistance received in a catastrophe or an almost impossible leak to find. And Chris is no exception to the rule.
“In systems of our size, you learn to appreciate what the Rural Water Association can do for you. The Circuit Riders show up to help you with whatever your need is, and they’ll work right beside you. They’ve not only become a great resource, but also great friends,” Chris said.
It takes a lot of time and the willingness to pay attention to details to keep a system ready for whatever the morrow may bring. “We’re the kind of people who will stay up at night worrying about a problem we haven’t found. It is important to us because the folks on our system are not just customers. They are our people … our family,” Chris continued.
Chris concluded, “Let me just say that it is an honor to have this many people trust us with their lives. We aren’t just taking care of the water; we are taking care of the people on our water system. It is just that serious to us.”
Chris and Ann Ainsworth will be quick to tell you that they’ve never wanted to be anywhere else but right here in the Shady Grove, and that they are lucky to have been given the opportunity to serve the people of this community.
So it just may be that the water has been good to them, but the truth of the matter is that Chris and Ann have been good for the water of Shady Grove.