ST. JOSEPH, La. (AP) — Gov. John Bel Edwards says he’s told Louisiana’s health department to work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to fix whatever is making tap water a murky brown in the town of St. Joseph.

The Department of Health and Hospitals is helping the city take steps to get $1.2 million in state money for the problem, Edwards said in a news release Monday.

Edwards said the water does not pose an immediate health risk but needs attention after years of neglect.

Resident Garrett Boyte said the water had been pale yellow but changed earlier this month to dark brown. He said town officials have told him that a break or malfunction in a water line may have contributed to the situation.

The last legislature allocated more than $6 million in capital outlay money to St. Joseph’s water.

Edwards said that to get more than $1.2 million, the project would have to be upgraded from Level 5 priority to Level 1. He said that’s a long-term goal for the health department and city officials.

A petition created at Whitehouse.gov asks President Barack Obama’s administration to clean up the town’s water. As of Monday evening, it had 9,958 of the 100,000 signatures needed by Feb. 19 to get a response from the administration.