Pittsboro, NC – Below is the email from John McDonald, owner of Integra and Old North State Water, in response to the recent untreated wastewater discharge in Briar Chapel.
From: John McDonald, Old North State Water
Date: Mon, Jul 27, 2020 at 4:36 PM
Subject: Our apologies and plan
Customers,
First, I want each of you to know how truly sorry I am for the sewer leaks in
your beautiful community. They are unacceptable to you and they are
unacceptable to me.
Today, I hope to share with you both an explanation and a plan for ensuring
these leaks do not happen again.
The leak we experienced yesterday behind the Great Ridge Parkway Dog Park is part of a force main line. A force main is a pipeline that moves wastewater from areas of the community to the treatment plant. The Lift Station where yesterday’s break occurred pushes the wastewater down the pipeline via pumps.
The term “force main line” should sound familiar as it was a section of this pipe that created the continued issues off Hill Creek Boulevard. During that inspection and diagnosis, we found that the original line is a PVC piping that
while within code is potentially faulty or defective. While we believe the force main line was installed properly many years ago, this defective pipe is failing to meet the demands of the community today. While my company, Old North State Water Co./Integra Water, did not install this pipe, the buck stops here, and here is our plan to fix it.
Like the section of force main near Hill Creek Boulevard that we diagnosed and replaced with much stronger materials as detailed in newsletters here and here, we are seeking expedient approval from all necessary regulatory bodies to bypass and install new stronger materials as quickly as possible.
It is becoming clearer and clearer that the Briar Chapel water reclamation
system is in dire need of upgrades to handle the increased size of the community. With so many residents spending so much time at home over this unforeseen pandemic, its usage has increased and unforeseen stresses have exacerbated weak points in the system.
Rest assured, the replacement of the force main with stronger materials will
solve this specific problem. And, we look forward to having an ongoing discussion on future plans to ensure the system is safe and scalable for years to come.
Please know that my company and I are taking this current issue as seriously as if this were occurring in our own backyards.
I am sorry, and I am working to solve the problem quickly.
Sincerely,
John McDonald
Owner, Integra Water and Old North State Water Co.