‘Enough is enough’: Neighbors in Pender County express concerns about discolored tap water

HAMPSTEAD, N.C. (WECT) - Neighbors in the Emerald Ridge neighborhood in Pender County say they’ve dealt with ongoing issues with their water for years, saying the tap water is discolored and ruins clothes and appliances.

Now, many neighbors are taking action, reaching out to county commissioners, the water company and state representatives to bring clean drinking water to their homes.

Greg Lovell lives in the neighborhood says the water has been an ongoing issue since his family moved in several years ago. We first spoke with him in October 2023.

“The water was brown and discolored all the time and smelled with a distinct odor. We reached out to our neighbors when we first moved in asking if this was normal and pretty much everybody said yes,” Lovell said.

Months later, Lovell and his other neighbors say nothing has changed.

They say they’ve reached out to the water company, Carolina Water Service, multiple times and have been told flushing the water is a solution.

Lovell and other neighbors say that’s expensive, and it doesn’t fix the issue.

“Many months, it’s $350 for water. That’s outrageous because we have to keep rinsing and rinsing and all this other stuff and it never gets any better,” Lovell said.

For Lovell and his other neighbors, the water issues are more than an inconvenience. He says it comes down to keeping his family safe.

“I try to be as calm as I can,” Lovell said. “I have a family and I’m supposed to protect them. I can’t even take a shower, my wife can’t take a shower, and now my baby, now I can’t have my baby taking a shower,” Lovell said.

WECT reached out to Carolina Water Service on Thursday and received the following response:

“We take the trust placed in us by our customers seriously and are proud to deliver quality water to our friends and neighbors. We regularly test drinking water to make sure our water remains in adherence with Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) standards. The Olde Point Water System, which serves the Emerald Ridge neighborhood, is constantly monitored per state and federal regulation. Drinking water samples are collected monthly and sent to a third-party laboratory for analysis. The Olde Point Water System has a proven track record of meeting state and federal regulatory requirements. Our most recent water quality report for Olde Point Water System is attached for your review. You will also find a list of secondary drinking water quality standards that are not federally enforceable. Carolina Water Service, Inc. of NC is committed to providing safe and reliable water services to all our customers. The Olde Pointe water system currently has three automatic flushers throughout the system that help with water quality and keep the mains flushed.

We are happy to investigate these issues for our customers and encourage all customers to continue to reach out to our Customer Experience Team at 800-525-7990 so that we can address any concerns. Customers can also contact us via our web-based customer service portal My Utility Account at MyUtilityAccount. We take your feedback seriously and will work diligently to address any concerns.”

WECT also obtained a copy of Carolina Water Service’s most recent annual water quality report from 2022 that says there were no violations received from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.

Pender County commissioner Brad George says the county is looking into different options such as filing a joint complaint against the water company. He says they expect to have more information about options by late January.