CFPUA to hold full-scale water emergency drill Wednesday

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority will hold an emergency drill tomorrow, and some customers could see some impacts.

CFPUA is working state regulatory officials, local fire and law enforcement agencies and public health officials to conduct a controlled, full-scale exercise simulating a real-world water emergency. During the exercise, CFPUA emergency response personnel and equipment will be mobilized to scenes and respond as directed by CFPUA’s Emergency Response plans and procedures.

CFPUA says the simulation level is the most involved exercise in the US Homeland Security’s Exercise and Evaluation Program. It is designed to mirror recent events involving a loss of water supply, such as the Elk River, West Virginia chemical spill and the coal ash spills that have occurred in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

The exercise will test significant portions of CFPUA’s water storage and distribution systems, including much of its more than 1,000-mile network of water mains. Essential pieces of infrastructure will either be shut down or activated, depending on how the exercise progresses. By doing so, CFPUA says it expects to gain a wealth of information about the resiliency of its water system during emergency events.

CFPUA will be using computer modeling to simulate impacts on the system and obtain key data without putting customer services at significant risk. However, because the exercise will be carried out at the most realistic levels, people within portions of CFPUA’s service area may experience reduced water pressure or temporarily discolored water as the scenario progresses.

Click here for a map of areas where discolored water is most likely to occur during the exercise

The highlighted areas, which are mainly north of MLK Parkway around N. Kerr Avenue and Gordon Road and around Piner Road and Myrtle Grove Road near Monkey Junction, are located near CFPUA emergency water system interconnections, which will be used during the exercise. When water flow is disrupted by a main break, maintenance, or emergency operations, sediment in the water mains can be loosened, resulting in a temporary discoloration of water. While disconcerting, CFPUA says the water is safe to drink. Once the loosening of the sediment or deposits has stopped, the water will begin to run clear. CFPUA suggests not using the discolored water for laundry.

CFPUA will constantly evaluate its water system during the exercise, which is slated to last eight hours. If impacts involving water pressure or discolored water rise to levels where they are likely to have impacts beyond pockets of our services area, CFPUA will immediately end the exercise.