FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mike McGill
(910) 332-6704After Hours: (910) 622-8472
Mike.McGill@cfpua.org communications@cfpua.org
WILMINGTON, NC, October 14, 2013: The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) is issuing a precautionary boil water advisory (PBWA) - effectively immediately - for all customers living in the Love Grove community. Earlier this evening, an 8-inch water main, approximately 70 years of age, broke in the vicinity of the railroad tracks. CFPUA is currently fixing the main, which will take four to six hours to repair. After service is restored, however, ALL of the Love Grove community will be under a precautionary boil water advisory.
This advisory is being issued as a precaution because periods of low or no pressure during the repair work increase the potential for the introduction of bacteria into the water system. CFPUA customers in the above described area should boil their water for one minute then allow it to cool prior to consumption or utilize another water source such as bottled water. Consumption includes drinking, brushing teeth, making ice, food preparation, fruit and vegetable washing and the preparation of baby formula. Customers do NOT need to boil water prior to using it for showering or bathing.
Because of the size of the area affected, CFPUA is asking the media for assistance in getting out the word about the advisory. CFPUA is also posting information on our website, www.cfpua.org, and customers can also call into CFPUA’s new Precautionary Boil Water Advisory Information Line at (910) 332-6500 for details.
The advisory shall be in effect until water quality testing has occurred and service has returned to normal, typically within 24 hours. The lifting of the advisory will occur in one or more of the following ways: hand-delivered announcement, a post on www.cfpua.org, a recorded phone message at 332-6500, a phone notification from New Hanover County’s emergency alert system and/or a press release to area media outlets.
A precautionary boil water advisory is a public health announcement. When issued, the public should assume there is an elevated risk of their water being unsafe to drink. Advisories can be issued after: incidents that compromise the distribution system (ex. water main break); failure of/substantial interruption in water treatment processes that result in increased turbidity levels or particle counts; mechanical or equipment failure; violations of the total coliform rule or the turbidity standard of the surface water treatment rule; or a natural disaster. www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking.
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Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) was formed by the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County to combine their water and sewer operations. It began operations on July 1, 2008. Today, the Authority serves more than 65,000 water customer accounts and more than 63,000 wastewater customer accounts. It oversees more than 1,000 miles of water distribution mains and nearly 1,000 miles of sewer mains. For more information, visit www.cfpua.org or contact CFPUA’s Communications staff at communications@cfpua.org.