Water main bypass operational; Brunswick County goes to voluntary Level 1 Water Emergency

BOLIVIA, N.C. — The bypass around the break in the water main that carries water from the Kings Bluff Pump Station to several water treatment plants, including Brunswick County’s Northwest Water Treatment Plant, is operational.

The bypass will ensure that a greater volume of water is transported to water treatment plants than was being transported by the water main while water was being lost through the break. However, the bypass cannot carry as much as the water main did before it broke.

For that reason, customers are asked to continue to be mindful of water usage until the water main is repaired and the bypass is no longer needed.

Beginning at noon today (Monday, Oct. 31), Brunswick County will be under a voluntary Stage 1 Water Emergency. Under a Stage 1, Brunswick County Public Utilities customers are asked to try to reduce water consumption by 10 percent, by taking steps such as showering instead of bathing and only running washing machines and dishwashers when they are full (instead of partial loads). Other steps include limiting lawn and shrubbery watering to the minimum needed for plant survival, limiting vehicle washing to a minimum, and doing any lawn and shrub watering or run dishwashers and washing machines outside peak demand hours (6-10 a.m. and 6-10 p.m.).

The voluntary Stage 1 Water Emergency will remain in place until repairs are made to the water main itself, and the bypass is no longer needed. Contractors have started work on the permanent repair to the main, and we expect work to take between seven and ten days. When this is completed, notifications will be sent to Brunswick County Public Utilities customers by CodeRED (phone calls, text messages, and/or emails) and the County’s email list serve, sent to the media, and posted on the County’s website and social media accounts.

Thank you to Brunswick County Public Utilities customers for their patience during the repair process, and for their assistance in reducing water usage. These conservation efforts enabled our system to function and meet drinking water and other essential needs during the water emergency.

To view the full water emergency ordinance, visit https://www.municode.com/library/nc/brunswick_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTICOOR_CH1-13WAWASU_ARTVWAEMOR.