FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                 July 26, 2007

CARY ANNOUNCES NEW PROCEDURES FOR RECLAIMED WATER SERVICE INSTALLATION

CARY , NC – After discovering that two of 458 residential reclaimed water service boxes had been inadvertently switched with drinking water boxes, the Town of Cary will now conduct tests of household drinking water before a certificate of occupancy is issued for any new home that also has reclaimed water service.  The new tests will help ensure that no cross connection between the two systems exists.  While approaching but not meeting the regulatory requirements for potable uses, reclaimed water is highly treated wastewater intended for landscape irrigation, commercial cooling, and dust control but not for household uses such as cooking and drinking.  

“By going to the house and sampling the water from the tap, we will be able to be absolutely certain that the water serving the house is potable water,” said Cary Town Manager Bill Coleman.  “This additional step in our permitting process should give everyone increased confidence that the water they drink is safe, reliable, and of the highest quality.”

On the evening of July 23, 2007 , the Town’s Public Works and Utilities Department was called to a new residence on Rensford Place to determine why the home’s water had stopped working.  The investigation revealed that the homes two water systems—one potable and one reclaimed—had been switched and that reclaimed water had been serving the home since being occupied in March 2007.   A survey of other homes with reclaimed water service revealed that a second home—this one on Spencer Crest Court —also had switched service boxes, this one dating back to December 2006.

In both cases, the switch occurred after Town inspectors had certified that the two types of water systems in both locations had been properly separated and marked.  The Town is continuing to try to determine exactly who made the switch and caused the services to be crossed.

Once the problems were discovered, the Town immediately relocated the affected families into local hotels while their water systems were corrected, sanitized, flushed, and retested to ensure the water was of the highest quality.  Both families should be back into their homes before the weekend.

“We regret the concern and inconvenience this has caused our two families, and we’ve appreciated their support and cooperation as we’ve worked through this difficult and unprecedented issue,” said Coleman.

In 2000, the Town of Cary became the first municipality in North Carolina to offer reclaimed water, a popular service that has received national attention for its environmental benefits.  For more on the Town of Cary ’s reclaimed water program, visit www.townofcary.org.

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