Pipe Replacement Prevents Water Problem Recurrence 09/08/06

Pipe replacement on two streets in Holly Glen subdivision has prevented xylene from recurring in the drinking water of homes nearby, test results continue to show.

A contractor replaced about 200 feet of pipeline there this summer after the Town determined that improper ductile iron pipe was the source of elevated, but not harmful, levels of xylene. The chemical came from coating on the pipe that the contractor installed.

“We feel pretty confident now the problem has been resolved,” Thomas Tillage, the Town's Water Quality director, said Sept. 7.

Last December, several homeowners in the vicinity of Sycamore Ridge Lane, Sycamore Creek Drive and Acorn Falls Court began reporting that their water smelled bad or caused a burning sensation when they drank it. Test results showed above-normal amounts of xylene.

“While the levels created a nuisance,” Tillage said, “they were not a public health threat.”

Mixed xylenes are used as solvents in products such as paints and coatings and are blended into gasoline. The maximum allowable limit is 10 parts per million.

When the problem occurred, Town officials notified the state Division of Water Quality even though testing indicated that xylene amounts were below the maximum allowable. A senior engineer with the N.C. Division of Water Quality met with the Town's Public Utilities staff and with several homeowners. He said that the water was safe to drink.

Town crews flushed lines in the area and continued working to isolate the source of the xylene.

Tillage thanked residents for their patience and assured them that xylene levels never exceeded state and federal limits.

“We are continuing to sample the area as a precaution,” he said. “We will also continue flushing the area as part of our flushing program to ensure that residents receive the best quality water possible.”

Anyone with questions or concerns can call Tillage at (919) 577-1090 or e-mail thomas.tillage@hollyspringsnc.us..

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Town of Holly Springs - PO Box 8 - 128 South Main Street - Holly Springs, NC 27540 - (919) 552-6221 - Holly.Springs@hollyspringsnc.us