UPDATE: On Friday, July 11, the City of Mebane informed residents that they have moved their Water Shortage Response Plan from Stage V to Stage I, loosening restrictions on usage.
The change comes as a result of the Graham-Mebane Water Treatment Plant being returned to partial operation, although repairs are still needed. The city noted that water may be discolored, but is currently safe to drink.
Stage I restrictions include the following:
- Use the shower for bathing rather than the bathtub and limit showers to no more than four (4) minutes.
- Limit flushing of toilets by using it more than once.
- Do not leave faucets running while brushing teeth, shaving, or rinsing dishes.
- Limit use of clothes washers and dishwashers and when used, operate fully loaded.
- Limit lawn water to that which is necessary for plants to survive.
- Water shrubbery the minimum required, reusing household water when possible.
- Limit car washing to the minimum.
- Do not wash down the outside areas such as sidewalks, patios, etc.
- Install water flow restrictive devices in shower heads.
- Use disposable and biodegradable dishes.
- Install water saving devices such as water filled plastic bottles or commercial units in toilet tanks.
- Limit hours of operation of water-cooled air conditioners.
“I appreciate your continued patience, understanding, and cooperation as we continue to work toward the full restoration of our water treatment plant,” said Mebane city manager Richard White. “While progress continues under Stage I, your efforts in following these water conservation measures will be a tremendous help.”
In their release, the city said that if residents fail to follow restrictions and use too much water, they will have to reinstate Stage V restrictions.
The following is previous reporting on Mebane’s water usage restrictions:
The City of Mebane said with partial repairs to its water treatment plant in the wake of damage from intense flooding, residents are now allowed to use up to 60% of normal water consumption under its Water Shortage Response Plan’s guidelines.
An update from the local government Thursday evening said its level of available water is still limited and customers are required to conserve water from many normal uses — but the plant successfully resumed water production and short uses for everyday tasks are allowed, with any outdoor watering as the main exception.
“While progress is being made,” Mebane’s release cautioned, “significant repairs, such as pump motor repairs and replacements, still need to be completed, and the plant’s primary electrical breaker remains inoperative. Full restoration of Duke Energy’s primary power source is expected to take several more days. However, the priority for repairs is providing Mebane with water. The City of Graham will continue to receive water from Burlington.”
The city shared a “CodeRED emergency call” and declared the implementation of its water shortage response plan’s late stage of rationing for customers, which includes mandatory restrictions. Because of the damage at the water treatment plant caused by Tropical Depression Chantal’s rain and floodwaters, the city’s supply of drinking water had less than two days remaining at that time which is far below the threshold needed for the highest stage of conversation.
“The Water Shortage Response Plan requires residents and businesses not to use any water other than limited drinking purposes when bottled water is not available, limited restroom usage (not including showers), and required medical usage,” the City of Mebane shared on Wednesday. “We urge everyone to use bottled water or other alternative sources. City personnel and local law enforcement will enforce the Water Shortage Plan.”
Because of the ongoing conservation requirements for Mebane residents, the city government is holding daily distribution of bottled water. Each resident is eligible to receive a case of botted water per person per day, with limits in place for families of four or more people. The distribution sites are:
- Mebane Arts & Community Center (MACC) at 633 Corregidor Street (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Mebane Fire Station 2 at 405 North First Street (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Summit Church at 1485 Mebane Oaks Drive (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- Clay Street Tavern and Provisions at 130 West Clay Street
- Crafted Taco at 119 West Clay Street
- Bright Penny at 107 North Seventh Street
- Grit and Grace at 108A West Clay Street
- Knuckleheads at 401 East Center Street
- Breakthrough Community Church at 703 South Third Street
- Lowes Home Improvement at 200 Lowes Boulevard
Additionally, the city is accepting donations of bottled water at the Mebane Arts & Community Center, Mebane Fire Station 2 and the Alamance Chamber in Burlington during business hours.
Wednesday’s alert said with this level of restrictions, all businesses, offices, industries and non-residential units should stop operating out of caution, with the only exceptions being grocery stores, health care facilities, and drug stores. Thursday’s alert affirmed this should still be the case as the water treatment plant slowly ramps operations back up.
The Graham-Mebane Water Treatment Plant is located at the edge of the Quaker Creek Reservoir in Alamance County, which is northwest of downtown Mebane. The city, however, is split between Alamance and Orange counties, with the water restrictions affecting residents in both.
Sunday’s storm dropped a significant amount of rain onto Central North Carolina, swelling rivers and causing flash flooding that caused a wide swath of damage. The preliminary rainfall totals for Mebane exceeded 9 inches, and Graham’s were more than 7 inches according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. The severity of floodwaters led the city to issue a voluntary evacuation notice for neighborhoods around the Lake Michael Dam late Sunday night over concerns of its integrity, with the infrastructure ultimately holding up. Because of the ongoing damage, receding waters and chance of rain for Wednesday, the City of Mebane, Orange County and Alamance County all remain under states of emergency.
Mebane is not the only community facing water shortages and restrictions due to flooding from Tropical Depression Chantal. The Town of Hillsborough’s water treatment and wastewater treatment plants each saw equipment overtaken by floodwaters, leaving the town on a boil water notice for more than two days. The Orange Water and Sewer Authority in Chapel Hill also reported a sewer main break and several wastewater overflows from the flash flooding.
The City of Mebane did lift its boil water notice on Wednesday for the Brighton Place Apartments and the Mill Creek Subdivision issued after a nearby water main break — but said both communities are also still required to follow the water usage laid out in the Water Shortage Plan.
Featured photo via the City of Mebane.
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