Hillsborough lifts boil water notice, urges conservation as water system remains fragile

Town leaders lifted a boil water notice on Wednesday for Hillsborough water customers after intense floods overwhelmed the sanitary sewer system.

"Testing of water samples found no bacteria in the system. However, customers are urged to continue to conserve water to maintain water supply in the system because the Water Treatment Plant is offline," said a statement posted on the town's website.

Hillsborough's system remains fragile as it relies on an interconnection with the city of Durham for water. Town leaders warn that a drastic increase in water use could cause a loss of system pressure and supply.

"We're showering very conservatively," Hillsborough resident Lee Gordon said. "We're trying to hold off washing clothes and just be good stewards of the water we have."

Gordon has lived in Hillsborough for 60 years and is among many who have relied on water bottle distributions from Orange County in recent days for clean water. 

The threat of more severe weather on Wednesday forced the county's emergency services to cancel a water bottle distribution originally scheduled for the afternoon. 

Sewage overflows happened in at least five locations, with the first reported early Monday, according to town officials. 

WRAL News asked Hillsborough leaders why the town saw sewage overflows in multiple spots, what measures are being taken to prevent it from happening again, and if there is a timeline for when the water treatment plant will be operational again.

It's expected to take days for the facility to come back online.

"The main clear well has been sanitized, and refilling has begun. Once partially filled, the water will need to sit for 24 hours before testing for bacteria, which will take another 24 hours," said a water treatment plant update posted Wednesday. 

Repairs are also underway at Hillsborough's wastewater treatment plant where officials say wastewater from 75% of sewer customers is going directly into the Eno River without any treatment because of a flooded pump station. 

Gordon describes the damage from several inches of rainfall as unexpected and says Hillsborough's water plan is "antiquated."

"The infrastructure is probably being taxed..." said Gordon. "It's made us aware of just how precious water can be." 

Town officials are urging residents to be prepared for the possibility of more storms Wednesday evening with heavy rain, gusty winds and flooding forecasted across central North Carolina.

City of Mebane has less than 2 days of drinking water

The city of Mebane has less than two days of drinking water as of Wednesday afternoon, and it could be days before the situation is back to normal, city leader said.

The shortage is because the city’s water treatment plant got flooded during Tropical Depression Chantal on Sunday night.

About 6 feet of water got into the treatment plant, flooding the controls and taking the plant off line.

City leaders are asking residents not to use water for anything other than:

- Limited drinking water

- Limited restroom usage

- Required medical usage