Johnston County issues advisory after water shortage from winter weather effects

SMITHFIELD, N.C. (WTVD) -- Johnston County Public Utilities is urging people to cut back on their water use because of a shortage caused by the extreme cold.

Johnston County released an advisory saying issues at its water plant prompted the shortage, asking people to scale back using water for non-essential reasons.

That means only using water for basics such as cooking, drinking, and basic hygiene.

Some residents told ABC11 that they have seen issues with their water.

"Water flow, some of them didn't even have water at all. I have one of my workers I work with over there, they couldn't get a warm shower, no meals, they had to opt to go somewhere else because of these conditions," said Antonio Gonzales of Smithfield.

The utility also asked people to check for any plumbing leaks on frozen pipes.

The county told ABC11 that they expect it will take about 24 to 48 hours before things get fully back to normal.

More water woes

Clayton said it purchases water from the county, so officials there were asking residents to conserve. The shortage has no effect on the water quality; there is just less of it, a town official said.

Water customers in Clayton are advised to inspect their plumbing in and under their homes. If they do not discover a leak, they are encouraged to report the issue to the Town (Clayton Customers Only) by calling (919) 553-1530.

The Town of Spring Lake in Cumberland County also said Monday that it was experiencing a widespread water outage. The Town blamed a major leak that was being repaired. Service was restored after several hours.

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