Water shortage in Johnston County will likely last through Memorial Day

Due to a purchase supply being temporarily unavailable to the Johnston County water system, county officials have declared a water shortage advisory.

All customers should immediately refrain from non-essential uses, including irrigation and filling of swimming pools. County officials will be closely monitoring the situation daily, but anticipates the water shortage advisory may remain in place through Memorial Day.

Officials say hot, dry weather is part of the problem causing a water shortage in the county.

The county relies on several outside sources for water – 20% of the country's water comes from the Town of Smithfield. If only one of those supplies drops, the county’s 40,000 customers are left high and dry.

Smithfield is once again delivering water to the county, but it could take days to replenish the supply, officials said.

Town officials have installed a third pump to pull water from the Neuse River on May 24.

In addition, the county is completing construction of a 2 million gallon per day expansion at the Timothy G. Broome Johnston County Water Treatment and expects to have this additional capacity available in the next couple of weeks.

This is the second water shortage in less than a week.

"It could happen again. We are asking people to right now to please conserve to the extent that they can," said Public Utlitites Director Chandra Farmer.

Officials ask for residents to not irrigate, water their lawns or fill swimming pools.

Farmers prepared for water shortage

Michelle Pace Davis, owner of Pace Family Farms, is prepared in case of a water shortage. 

The farm has a nearby irrigation system that pulls water from a nearby pond.

"We sit down and we try to plan around water," she said.

This way, Davis has the supply she needs to water her 20 acres of land.