NATCHEZ &8212; If water services are a good measure of growth, things are looking up in Natchez and Adams County.

Natchez gained 131 new water turn-ons this fiscal year, up from a gain of 30 turn-ons last year.

The number of customers billed, also up, is a good gauge of population growth, said Marvin McDonald, head of information systems at Natchez Water Works.

In fiscal year 2005, water works billed an average of 7,371 people. This year, they have already reached an average of 7,424.

The average number of &8220;taps,&8221; or access points to water and sewer lines, installed, is a good measure of residential and business construction, because new buildings have to install new taps, McDonald said.

The number of taps installed is higher so far this calendar year than last. The average number of taps installed each month last year was 2.8, and since January, the average this year is 6.8 each month.

Water Works only started keeping track of whether new turn-ons were from out of town since May. About 27 percent of new water turn-ons since May are residents moving from outside Natchez.

These numbers look very good after last year, McDonald said. The average number of customers billed last fiscal year was the lowest in 10 years &8212; 7,371.

&8220;We hope we have seen the bottom and are going back up,&8221; Water Works Superintendent David Gardner said.

The Adams County Water Association is also seeing positive numbers, General Manager Ken Herring said.

For the past few years, the county water association has seen an average of 75 new turn-ons each year, Herring said. This year, the average is 125 so far.

&8220;This year&8217;s numbers are equal to what they were before (International Paper) shut down,&8221; Herring said.

In June last year, the county served about 5,500. The active connections now are roughly 5,625.