****UPDATE: The Do Not Use order was lifted Saturday afternoon.****

Outreach efforts to supply residents of Chapel Hill and Carrboro with clean drinking water were underway as early as 10:00 AM on Saturday.

The efforts followed a major water main break and treatment plant mishap that led to a moratorium on local water use due to supply and contamination issues.

Shari Porterfield was among Red Cross personnel at the Hargraves Community Center who distributed cases of bottled water to residents in need.

“We got the Chapel Hill Fire Department out here with us [and] the Chapel Hill Police Department is helping out,” she stated. “We’re all working together just to make sure everybody has what they need.”

Porterfield noted that most of the water on site came from the emergency operations center in Hillsborough, but residents had also made donations.

“Al’s Burger Shack just came and donated about 10 cases and we’ve had some citizens come and bring water as well.”

Despite the state of emergency, local resident Mimi Rieth expressed optimism after waiting in a line of vehicles for her allotment of emergency drinking water.

“I’m just really sorry all this has happened, but Chapel Hill seems to be working with Harris Teeter; people were able to get free water last night,” she offered.

Reith may have spoken for over 80,000 residents of Orange County when she brought up the conveniences that are made possible by municipal water utilities.

“I just hope that we have water again so we can shower and do laundry.”

According to the Orange Water and Sewer Authority, testing is underway regarding the safety of local water and will continue until further notice.

Photo by Bruce Rosenbloom/WCHL.

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