OXFORD, Miss. (WTVA) -- The former operator of several drinking water systems in North Mississippi has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills following her guilty pleas regarding water treatment facilities.
Mari Leigh Childs, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of submitting false material statements and one count of failing to establish and maintain records, make reports and sample effluents as required by the Clean Water Act.
Childs, of Derma, will serve five years probation, including six months of home confinement with an electronic monitoring device.
She must also pay restitution in the amount of nearly $35,000.
"Childs chose to ignore laws that ensure water quality and protect the safety of the water we drink in Mississippi. When drinking water quality is compromised, human health is adversly impacted," said Maureen O'Mara, special agent in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency's criminal enforcement program.
"The government relies on accurate analytical reports to demonstrate that water is safe to drink. Childs' actions threatened water quality and drinking water safety," O'Mara added.
