SILEX, Mo. — It's a big problem for Cayla Hardin and her neighbors in the small town of Silex, Missouri.
"We're getting conflicting reports whether it's just about drinking it, whether it's about using it to cook or bathe with," said Hardin.
For more than a week now, the Lincoln County community has been under a state of emergency.
It's after the Missouri Department of Natural Resources detected unsafe levels of radium in multiple samples of water.
Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive metal that originates in the groundwater the city uses for its public water supply. It can cause cancer.
"We really don't know where we stand with any of this," said Hardin.
Homeowners said last week, city officials told them it was safe to show and wash their clothes but to not drink the water.
Taking no chances, Hardin and her family are bathing with bottled water.
"There are not enough statistics that have been done on the ingestion of radium versus just getting contact or anything. It's incredibly stressful, " Hardin said.
Thursday night, several dozen homeowners shared their frustrations, health concerns and questions during a meeting with local, state and federal officials.
About 250 people live in Silex, which is about 70 miles northeast of St. Louis.
Silex's mayor said they're doing everything they can to address the water woes and help people during these challenging times.
"We're reaching out with our cooperating agencies to get bottled water to our citizens. How long will it last? We don't know until we an get a solution that will help them take the radionuclides out," said Mayor Lynne Luckett.
"The long-term solution that's being worked on is a connection to an adjacent water system and that's probably a couple to three years out," said Scott Marquess, a Compliance Officer with the U.S. Environmental Agency Region 7 in Kansas.
Meantime, Hardin is running out of patience.
"I want clean water for my family," said Hardin.
Right now, no future community meeting is scheduled. The city is providing one gallon of water per person per household a day. Residents can pick up the water at the Silex City Hall.
Luckett said anyone with questions can call City Hall at (573) 384-5959. Residents may also find information on the city's Facebook page.