It happened while crews were adding another pipe to increase the plant's output from the Neuse River.
"We don't foresee any major problems, it's just going to take us awhile to get it fixed and to get it back into operation," Johnston County PIO Pat LaCarter said.
Officials anticipate the repairs to be completed within the next 12 - 16 hours.
"So what we're having to do now is take the elbow joint out put the new pipe in and then replace the elbow and the 24 inch so that we can maintain and you know start back with the normal flow of water," LaCarter said. "We shut the water plant down completely; if we did not shut it down then all we're doing is pumping water into a hole in the ground."
The shutdown affects Johnston County customers in Clayton, Four Oaks, Princeton and Kenly -- approximately 6,300 residents including those served by Carolina Water Service and Aqua NC.
Hospitals, restaurants and laundromats are all running as normal, but officials are urging residents and business owners to suspend all non-essential water use until the plant is up and running.
"In other words if you're going to wash your car kind of hold off a day or two, normal things like filling up swimming pools those kinds of things we're asking people not to do that," LaCarter said.
If you have questions regarding this situation, please contact (919) 938-4700.
Classifieds | Report A Typo |
Send Tip |
Get Alerts | Most Popular
Follow @abc11 on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook
