Hillsborough Repairs Water, Wastewater Treatment Plants; Residents No Longer Asked To Conserve

**UPDATE: On Saturday, July 12, the town of Hillsborough announced that its water treatment plant is back online, so residents are no longer being asked to conserve water. The town’s wastewater treatment system is also up and running again: one flooded pump station will likely take over a month to repair, but temporary pumps have been installed to bypass the damage. Click here for more details from the town.

The original story from Wednesday, July 9 is below.

After more than two days of being under a boil water notice after significant flooding from Tropical Depression Chantal’s severe weather, the Town of Hillsborough lifted the measure for residents and customers on Wednesday afternoon — but still warned against using much water.

A release from the local government shortly before 3 p.m. said the notice is no longer necessary after testing of the water samples found no bacteria in the distribution system, which was a concern since Sunday from Hillsborough’s clear wells for drinking water being flooded by the Eno River. The town said more than 30 samples were taken and returned as clean, which means customers do not need to boil water before drinking or washing items, nor run water, change filters or dump ice out of fear of contamination.

The update, however, does not mean the town’s water and sewer operations have returned to normal. The water treatment plant on Dimmocks Mill Road is still offline for repairs and cleaning, and the wastewater treatment plant off Elizabeth Brady Road was also flooded. As a result, the town urged its water and sewer customers to conserve usage for the time being. Hillsborough recommended customers do not wash clothes or cars, irrigate land, pressure-wash or use water beyond basic necessities to help maintain the temporary water supply.

For now, the town said it is currently paying the City of Durham for drinking water received through a water system interconnection, with that being the sole supply of water — and a significant increase of water use could affect both water pressure and the system’s supply. Additionally, conserving water prevents more wastewater from needing to be treated. Hillsborough said roughly 75% of its sewer customers’ wastewater would be flowing directly into the Eno River without any treatment because of its flooded pump station, so limiting their washing or flushing toilets is recommended.

In its Wednesday update, Hillsborough said it is estimated for it to take “several days” to bring the water treatment plant back online, with the Utilities Department and contractors working to restore operations.

“We appreciate the public’s help in keeping water supply available for everyone, including critical facilities such as the hospital and medical facilities,” said the town’s release.

The Hillsborough community is not alone is facing water-use restrictions. The City of Mebane issued an emergency alert Wednesday morning saying between flood damage at its Graham/Mebane Water Treatment Plant and the current usage, it projected less than two days’ worth of clean water supplies left.

Additional details about water advisories and notices can be found on the Town of Hillsborough’s website.

Featured photo via Chapel Hill Media Group.

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