Jones Ferry Rd water main break repaired
On the morning of November 5, a water main break occurred on Jones Ferry Rd which affected water storage levels and water pressure in the system. Customers in OWASA's service area were asked to conserve water over a 24-hour period, and boil water before consuming it for a 30-hour period. Storage levels are back-to-normal and customers are using water as usual. We are investigating the cause of the break and will share information as it becomes available. We are very sorry for the inconvenience the event caused. We understand the community seeks to know more about what happened. Please find below answers to some of your frequently asked questions.
Frequently asked questions
What happened? Why did it take longer than usual to locate the main break?
A break occurred in a 16-inch pipe that carries water from the water treatment plant to the community. Factors such as the large volume of water flowing from the break, the depth of the break at 14 feet deep, and the pipe's location within a tight network of multiple pipes made it difficult to locate quickly. We had to turn off valves and stop water flow at many different sections of the pipe to find the exact location of the break, which took eight hours. We do not yet know the cause of the break. We are working with a consultant to investigate the cause and will share the information as soon as it is available. 
Was it time for the broken pipe to be replaced? Do you have a system for maintaining and replacing pipes?
The pipe that broke was approximately 77 years old and is cast iron pipe. About 3% of our water pipes are made out of cast iron, and about 2% of our water pipes are 77 years or older.The American Water Works Association reports the average estimated service life for cast iron pipes at large water utilities in the South is 110 years old.
Our water main prioritization program prioritizes pipes to be upgraded and replaced based on industry assessment factors such as age, history of repairs and breaks, soil conditions, criticality of customers served, and pipe material. About 50 cents of every dollar of OWASA revenue is invested in renewing and replacing infrastructure. Our current five-year Capital Improvements Program includes about $33 million dedicated to replacing 16 miles of water main pipes (about 4% of the distribution system).
In January 2018, we shared a report on water main breaks and strategies we use to reduce main breaks. We use hydraulic models, prioritization models, and geographic information systems to inform our decision-making. An average of 1.7 miles per year of new or replacement water mains have been installed over the past 10 years.
Why did OWASA ask all of its customers to conserve water?
Pipeline breaks typically only impact customers in the vicinity of the break. However, the size, location and duration of this break led to the loss of a lot of water from our storage tanks. We consider tanks to be at emergency levels if we drop to 2 million gallons. On November 5, storage levels dropped to 2.9 million gallons which is why we issued the “essential-use” advisory, to ensure we maintained enough water in the system in case of a community emergency. Customers were asked to conserve water over a 24-hour period. The community responded to the call and decreased their water use by 25%.
Why did OWASA ask all of its customers to boil water?
When water levels dropped, system pressure dropped too. When system pressure drops, contaminants can enter the system. Customers were asked to boil water over a 30-hour period. Boiling the water was a safety precaution until we could run tests to determine that no contaminants had entered the system. We tested 68 water samples throughout the community which were found to clear and absent of bacteria. We lifted the boil water advisory immediately upon receiving the test results.
What will OWASA do next? How will OWASA make the system more resilient?
We are working with an independent consultant to investigate the cause of the break and will share the information as soon as it is available. We are committed to being transparent about findings. We cannot anticipate every main break, but we can do more to bolster system resiliency. We plan to work with a consultant to verify that we are using industry best-practices, to ensure we are prioritizing our asset management correctly, and to increase the resiliency of the system.
Our goal is to meet with community members and partners in the coming weeks and months, to invite community input and participation in decision-making on local water and wastewater priorities. We aim to understand better unique customer needs, and develop solutions together for increased resiliency. We will share future plans as they develop, and we will work hard to earn back the community's trust.
View the timeline and updates provided throughout the event here.
OWASA shares update with Chamber of Commerce members
On November 11, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce invited OWASA to meet with Chamber members. During this meeting, OWASA listened to how the Jones Ferry Rd water main break impacted community members, and shared information on what happened during the event. OWASA was grateful for the opportunity to meet with Chamber members and is committed to making the system more resilient, together with input from the community.
View the OWASA presentation to the Chamber of Commerce here.
About OWASA
OWASA is Carrboro-Chapel Hill's community-owned, non-profit agency providing high quality water, sewer (wastewater), and reclaimed water services. In partnership with communities we serve, we are responsible stewards of our community’s sustainable resources.
In employment, business operations including but not limited to contracting and in all services to the community, OWASA does not discriminate based on race, creed, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin or political affiliation.
Our Customer Service Office is in our Administration Building at 400 Jones Ferry Road in Carrboro (next to the Jones Ferry Road Water Treatment Plant and the Barnes Street-Jones Ferry Road intersection). Our normal office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. We are closed on major holidays. Here is a map to our main offices.