Public Works Commission - Consumer Frequently Asked Questions

Does PWC provide storm drainage or trash services?
PWC does not provide storm drainage or trash services. Please contact the City of Fayetteville or other related agencies. You may call their trash services at 433-1511, their storm water department at 433-1613 or visit their website at www.cityoffayetteville.org

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Why are PWC's sewer charges more than water charges?
Wastewater is collected and then treated in accordance with the sanitary sewer use ordinance of the City of Fayetteville. Sanitary sewer discharge charges are split into two parts-collection and treatment. Billing is made on a monthly basis and sanitary sewer is billed by the metered water service under the customer's assigned rate. Based on the cost of treating sanitary sewer, the operating expenses of the sewer treatment facility exceed the cost of the water treatment facility, resulting in the higher sewer rate. PWC Rates

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What is the "Project: People Who Care" Program?
"Project: People Who Care" is a joint effort between the Cumberland County Salvation Army and PWC. Through this project, PWC customers provide donations that are used to assist needy area residents with the payment of their electric bills. To provide a donation just enter the amount of the donation in the space provided on your PWC bill and add it to your payment. "Project: People Who Care" funding is administered by the Salvation Army to make sure the contributions reach the people who need it most. If every PWC customer provides even a small contribution, we can keep hundreds of needy families from suffering throughout the year. Last winter over 114 families received assistance from the $15,000 in contributions. For more information on "Project: People Who Care", call the Cumberland County Salvation Army at (910) 483-8119.

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Why is my water discolored?
Cloudy water is caused by tiny air bubbles in the water similar to the gas bubbles in carbonated soft drinks. After a while, the bubbles rise to the top and are gone. This type of cloudiness occurs more often in the winter, when the drinking water is cold.
Potential Solution: Let the water run for a short period of time and check periodically for water clarity.

Rusty brown water is caused when the hot water tank is rusting or water pipes in the street leading to your home may be rusting. If you are having trouble and your neighbors are not, then your own pipes and water heater are possibly rusting.
Potential Solution: A plumber may need to correct this problem.

Almost all water pipes have a thin film of rust and harmless sediment on the inside of them. Although this thin film causes no problems, over time it can build up to the point that a slight increase in water velocity can cause it to break loose from the interior pipe wall. This material causes your tap water to appear discolored or dirty. Normally discolored water is the result of high water demands throughout the distribution system.
Higher than normal water demands increase the velocity of the water to a rate of flow which causes harmless material in the pipeline, such as rust and sediment to break free.
Potential Solution: PWC performs flushing of the water mains in your area to remove sediment before it reaches your home or business.

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Why do I have low water pressure?
Temporary low water pressure can be caused by heavy water use in your area, a water main break or hydrants being accessed to fight a nearby fire.

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How does flushing the water distribution system work?
The Public Works Commission has an ongoing program of flushing the distribution pipes to ensure that they are kept clean. Otherwise, rust and sediment would cling to the pipe walls. Flushing is done by opening fire hydrants and letting the water rush through the pipelines at a higher than normal velocity. This water being moved through the pipes at a high velocity breaks loose rust, and sediment that may be present. During flushing, the discolored water is allowed to exit the system through an opened fire hydrant. The water is flushed until it becomes clear and there is a sufficient amount of chlorine residual present for disinfection.

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Is the discolored water that I am experiencing in my home/office safe to drink?
Even though discolored water is not harmful, we realize it's not aesthetically pleasing either. Whether or not you feel comfortable drinking the water is a personal decision and an understandable one. If at anytime PWC's water is deemed unsafe to drink, you will be notified by PWC with guidance from the State of North Carolina's Division of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) immediately via several different forms of media. During more localized events that may occur, you will possibly be visited by PWC and/or NCDENR representatives as well.

Although harmless, discolored water may leave stains when washing clothes. If you are experiencing discolored water, you may want to postpone doing laundry for a short time until your water becomes clear.
As with all of your, and your family's home and health decisions, common sense is always the best approach. Even though discolored water is harmless, if you don't feel comfortable using it during short periods of discoloration, we certainly understand. As always, you are the best judge of what is best for you and your family.

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What should I do if I notice discolored water at my tap?
The first thing you should do is to allow your tap to run a few minutes to see if it clears up. This will help you determine if the discolored water is coming from the distribution system or your home's plumbing system. If this doesn't correct the problem within about five (5) minutes, please contact the following numbers:
* Between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M. please contact PWC Customer Service at 910-483-1382.
* After Hours, please contact PWC Emergency Dispatcher at 910-678-4700.

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Who do I call if I have questions about my drinking water?
Any specific questions or concerns that you may have regarding your drinking water may be directed to the PWC Laboratory at 910-223-4705

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What’s Involved In Power Restoration?
Under our power restoration plan, certain PWC customers are given priority. These include hospitals, any schools or other facilities used as disaster shelters, PWC's communications/dispatch center and other facilities involved in our restoration efforts, county and city facilities including fire and police stations and the airport, public facilities or private homes with people on life support systems.

1. We begin by repairing any damage in the lines to and from our Transmission System-where high voltage power is received from the generation source. While damage at this level is less likely, when it does occur, it can affect tens of thousands of homes and businesses.

2. The next step is to check for damage at our Substations-where the voltage is reduced to a level safe for distribution. Each local substation serves several thousand customers, so repairing damage here may restore power to a large number of people.

3. We then proceed to repair any damage in the Customer Distribution System, which includes: Main "Feeder" Lines, "Lateral" or "Tap" Lines and Service Lines. Repairing the Customer Distribution System is based on safety concerns and restoring power to the greatest number of people. In general, we repair the main feeder lines first, followed by the lateral and service lines.

NOTE: If your power outage is caused by damage between the line to your home and the service installation, it is the customer's responsibility to have an electrician repair the damage before PWC can restore power.

These are just a few of the many suggestions for preparing for hurricanes. Contact the Red Cross or the local Emergency Management Office for more information that can help you and your family stay safe this hurricane season.