Social Media Stokes Ratepayer Grievances
By Sara Jerome,
@sarmje
Homeowners in Wake Forest, NC, say contaminated tap water may have made them ill, and it appears that infrastructure upgrades could be to blame.
"Some residents wonder if the recent work on water lines is causing people to get sick," ABC 11 reported.
The illnesses came to light after the release of a boil water advisory. Residents said "they never got the first notice about a potential problem," the report said. The city of Raleigh explained that a boil water advisory is released after an event that "could" lead to contamination.
"I didn't know if it was a coincidence, or related to [the advisory]," resident Deborah Boysen said in the report.
Residents communicated via social media to determine that their illnesses were not isolated incidents. "Some have even complained that their dogs got sick after drinking tap water in their bowls," the report said. "Sara Thomas said her one-year-old son, Ellinson, was violently ill. She usually mixes tap water with the baby's powder formula."
Residents worry that the sicknesses are related to water infrastructure upgrades.
"Around the same time people said they started seeing symptoms, the City of Raleigh fixed a water main break and replaced a valve. Water boil advisories were issued where that work was done. The city says it was upkeep," the report said.
Raleigh Water Plants Superintendent Ken Best said the water supply is not a cause for concern.
"A lot of infrastructure underground we've got to maintain," he said. "When it was done, we flushed, took samples, and everything was fine."
Like most areas, North Carolina faces big cost problems when it comes to water infrastructure. The state has reported $10 billion in drinking water infrastructure needs over the next two decades, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Check out Water Online's Drinking Water Contaminant Removal Solution Center.
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