A letter from Public Works regarding discolored water

Published on August 26, 2025

On August 26^th, the contractor was conducting a mach startup. An electronic valve was found to be in a stuck position, causing high pressure buildup in the treatment system. When the valve finally released, all the built-up pressure went into the county water system. This caused the dislodging of sediment which in turn caused major discoloration in the Faison Hwy/Old Warsaw/Timberlake areas.

We certainly apologize for this disruption and inconvenience. Our staff members have been working diligently throughout the process to flush the affected waterlines. We have expressed our displeasure with the contractor about this incident in great detail, emphasizing the critical importance of improved communication moving forward.

This task and resulting issue(s) were performed as part of the overall project to install a water treatment plant at Sampson County’s NC403 well site. This project was designed to help alleviate the water aesthetics such as discoloration from the system. However, due to contractor delays, this project was not completed in 2021 as originally intended.

It is possible that there will be more interruptions as this project is nearing its completion. We will notify our customers in advance of any scheduled construction that will affect their water supply.

Public Works has staff available 24 hours a day. If a customer experiences discolored water at any time, they should call the after-hours line so our staff can immediately start flushing to try and quickly resolve the issue.