Lightning strike damages main water line in Stedman

STEDMAN, N.C. (WTVD) -- Crews in Stedman quickly worked to fix the town's main water line after a lightning strike hit a 12-inch water line.

A storm that pushed through around mid-day Thursday included a lightning strike that damaged a tree and destroyed the town's main water line.

The water tank on Highway 24 was drained of water, and residents experienced complete outages or low water pressure.

A boil water advisory is in effect until further notice.

Town leaders warned more than 1,000 residents not to drink the water saying that bacteria could be introduced into the water system because of the low pressure and outages.

Crews finished repairing the main water line around 5 p.m. All residents should have water service once again. However, it's important to continue boiling any tap water for at least a minute before use -- at least until the town can confirm there are no contaminants in the water.