WyndWater residents in Hampstead face ongoing water quality issues

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — For years, several residents of the WyndWater community in Hampstead have turned on the tap, only to find muddy looking water coming out of the faucet on a routine basis. 

Residents say Pender County Utilities have come to flush the pipes several times, but the muddy water only returns. 

A water advisory was also issued stating that the water contained Haloacetic acids, which are formed when chlorine, used to clean the water, reacts with organic material. The statement explained the water could be unsafe for pregnant women or those with a compromised immune system, a warning that has only stoked more concern.  

Resident Stacy Smith said issues with the water began as soon as she moved in. 

“It tasted awful. And then giving the kids a bath, when I was filling up the tub, I noticed it was a yellowish brown color,” Smith said. 

Matthew Buckingham has lived in the neighborhood for nearly four years. He, like many residents, has opted for bottled water.  

“Me and my wife and my family, we have to buy water in bottles constantly, every single week, and I’m working over at least $100 a month just to buy drinkable water,” Buckingham noted.  

As resident Bonnie Santos added, it’s not just health residents are worried about. 

“The water’s destroying our appliances,” Santos explained. “I have to run vinegar through my dishwasher because otherwise everything comes out filmy and gross.” 

Buckingham said on top of it all, Pender County Utilities is also raising rates.  

“I cannot believe that they want to sit here and not improve our quality of water, but instead come in and charge us more for the same issues that we’re currently having,” Buckingham said. 

WWAY reached out to Pender County Utilities for comment. The utilities company provided a statement from Executive Director Anthony Colon that reads: 

“The Highway 17 corridor in Hampstead has been experiencing hydraulic variances for years, particularly between Sloop Point Loop and Highway 210 near Surf City. These hydraulic issues, which extend from the Hampstead elevated tank to the Topsail elevated tank, have caused problems with water turnover, especially near the WyndWater community. The situation has been exacerbated by the addition of new groundwater wells with slightly elevated levels of iron and the recent relocation of the Highway 17 water line due to the new traffic bypass. Boil water notifications are standard letters provided and mandated by the North Carolina Division of Environmental Quality during water outages and should not be a cause for alarm unless specifically indicated by the utilities.” 

The statement continues… 

“Pender County Utilities recently hired an engineering firm to investigate for leaks along the Highway 17 corridor. The results were positive, indicating no leaks were found in the lines. Currently, PCU’s new water and sewer superintendent, Brian Terry, Water and Sewer Superintendent,  has implemented a new operational strategy that combines water quality monitoring, extensive flushing of dead ends, and the turning over of the Topsail elevated water tank. Additional water treatment of the groundwater wells is in the works. We are continually working towards resolving these issues and are hopeful that the new operational strategies will yield positive results.” 

But for residents like Smith, she hopes solutions will come sooner, rather than later.  

“It feels really bad to know that I’m stuck in this place of I know I’m giving my kids horrible water but there’s nothing I can do about it,” Smith said. 

Residents have also started a petition on Change.org that now has more than 350 signatures.