Water Line Break and Boil Water Advisory Issued for the Town of Franklin UPDATE: East Franklin Elementary Goes Virtual for Tuesday, September 6th

The Town of Franklin has canceled the boil water advisory.

September 7, 2022 - 6PM UPDATE

The Town of Franklin has canceled the precautionary boil water advisory for residents and businesses impacted by the water line break in East Franklin on September 5. The town received results of its water samples, which show that no contaminants were found and the Franklin Water System complies with all state and federal regulations. These tests confirmed that water in the area is safe to drink and can be used for cooking, making ice and other personal needs.

Customers who have not used their water supply during this boil water advisory are advised to flush their internal and external plumbing by running water through their system for several minutes.

The Town of Franklin is committed to providing safe drinking water, and this precautionary boil water advisory was issued out of an abundance of caution to ensure the public’s safety. We thank the impacted residents and businesses for their patience and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. We also commend the timely and professional work of the Town employees, and are thankful for the excellent cooperation and communication with the NCDOT, Macon County School System, Macon County Health Department and local media resources during this event.

3:09PM UPDATE:

Important information for East Franklin Elementary parents and staff:

Due to a break in a main water line, and a boil water advisory, East Franklin Elementary School will operate on a virtual instruction day tomorrow, September 6, 2022.

2:12pm UPDATE:

WATER LINE REPAIR UPDATE:

The water line on Lakeside Drive has been repaired. Service is being restored slowly to those impacted. Town crews are opening hydrants and valves so that the amount of air in the line is reduced prior to reaching homes; however, you still may experience air in the lines and cloudy, brown or muddy water even after allowing it to run for a bit. For this reason, we are under a boil water advisory until further notice. A reminder of what you should do during a boil water advisory: Boil tap water vigorously for a least one minute before using it for drinking, cooking, or any consumption. This includes water used for dental care, making ice, food preparation, or any other consumption purposes. It is not necessary to boil water for showering, laundry, or other non-consumptive uses. 

 TRAFFIC UPDATE:

As this repair has impacted Lakeside Drive, it will remain closed until further notice between East Main Street and Watauga Street. Barricades are placed at East Main and Watauga Street and there will be no outlet from McDonald's, Dollar General or Hardee's until road repairs are completed. The NCDOT will be coordinating the road repairs with the Town. The Macon County School System has been made aware of this road closure and will be sending out information to their bus drivers and to parents. Both the Franklin Fire and Police Departments will be assisting with traffic control during the morning drop off at East Franklin Elementary. 

Here is an update from the Town of Franklin:

TRAFFIC UPDATE – Lakeside Drive from the intersection of East Main Street to the rear entrance to Dollar General is closed for crews to work on the repair. East Main Street is open for all traffic.

WATER LINE BREAK UPDATE and BOIL WATER ADVISORY WHEN SERVICE IS RESTORED

The water line break has impacted all of East Franklin as it is a main line. Repairs are being made; however, at this time, we are unsure of how long these repairs will take. Water service will be interrupted during this time. We will update the media as soon as additional updates are known. The break in the line was NOT due to any installation of fiber. When service is restored, there may be air in the lines causing sputtering of water when first turned on, cloudy or brown water, and potentially contain dirt or small particulates. Residents are encouraged to run water from an outside spigot or in the bathtub to eliminate air from the lines quickly.

Due to the nature of this repair, the Town is issuing a boil water advisory for when service is resumed.

Here is information related to the Boil Water Advisory:

There are two levels of notices: a Boil Water Advisory and a Boil Water Notice. Here is the difference:

A Boil Water Advisory is voluntarily issued when water contamination is possible. During an advisory we recommend that customers vigorously boil water for at least 1 minute before consumption or drink bottled water.

A Boil Water Notice is required by law to be issued when contamination is confirmed in the water system. The Town of Franklin has issued a BOIL WATER ADVISORY for those impacted in East Franklin.

Event that initiated the boil water advisory

A water main break that required the water system to be turned off for greater than an hour and the pipe has to be opened to the environment which could allow dirt and groundwater into the system.

What should you do during a boil water advisory?

Boil tap water vigorously for a least one minute before using it for drinking, cooking, or any consumption. This includes water used for dental care, making ice, food preparation, or any other consumption purposes.

It is not necessary to boil water for showering, laundry, or other non-consumptive uses. How long will the advisory last?

Water should be boiled from the time the advisory is issued and continue until The Town of Franklin officially lifts the advisory. During the time the advisory is in effect, the Public Works Department will have an outside laboratory perform an analysis to determine if the water is safe and meets all standards. The advisory will remain in effect until we receive the lab results, this may be 24 hours or more.

Again, residents are reminded not to call 9-1-1 for this outage as it is being actively repaired.

We will provide additional information as it becomes known.



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