*Updated at 4 p.m. on Friday, July 31

Here in the South, you know things are bad when Waffle House closes. That was just one of the many disruptions caused by a two-foot water main break that began on Wednesday, July 29, in eastern Forsyth County.

An estimated half of the county’s population — or ~200,000 — was left with low or no water pressure. Affected businesses and offices closed Wednesday and Thursday and several events of the International Black Theatre Festival, which drew thousands of visitors to the city this week, were canceled on Wednesday.

As of 3 p.m. on Friday, July 31, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities confirmed that all water service had been restored and was safe for consumption, with no sites remaining on the interactive map.

Crews successfully repaired the damaged water main, which will go into service once testing confirms its quality and operational requirements. Until then, WSFC Utilities said that it is important for customers to conserve water as it will help the system stabilize faster.

Officials did not yet say what caused the problem. The water main break — unrelated to any planned shutoffs — is in a critical part of the water main that carries clean water from the Thomas Water Treatment Plant to the distribution system, affecting downtown and eastern Winston-Salem, Walkertown, and Kernersville.

It was not an easy or quick fix due to the location of the damaged main, as it was below a manmade pond and about 40 ft underground.

Utilities crews worked around the clock, and in a briefing at 3 p.m. on Thursday, WSFC Utilities Director Courtney Driver reported that “tremendous improvements” had been made.

“This has never happened before, so this is uncharted water for us,” said Bill Brewer, WSFC Utilities Deputy Director, on Wednesday, July 29.

The flushing of fire hydrants in affected areas continued after the boil advisory was lifted to purge any contaminated water. Crews had also distributed bottled water to affected residents at sites across Forsyth County on Thursday and Friday.

What to do if you’ve been affected 💧

While water service has safely returned to normal, bookmark this page for future reference in case of a water emergency.

Sign up for notifications from the City of Winston-Salem’s alert center for the most up-to-date information.

A boil advisory may go into effect as periods of low or no pressure increases the risk of back siphonage (the reverse flow of contaminated water into clean water) and the introduction of bacteria.

If you are under a boil advisory, vigorously boil any water intended for human consumption for at least one minute. This includes drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation.
Additional guidance from WSFC Utilities:

Do not drink water unless it has been commercially bottled or boiled, including filtered water or ice from a refrigerator
If possible, use disposable dishes or boil water for handwashing
Check if your dishwasher has a sanitizing cycle or reaches a final rinse temperature of at least 150 degrees — then it is safe to use
Sanitize all baby bottles
Give pets commercially bottled water or boiled water that has cooled
Brush teeth commercially bottled water or boiled water
Do not swallow any water when bathing or showering
Consider giving small children a sponge bath to reduce risk of swallowed water
Launder your clothes in your washing machine as usual

While this situation is rare, it is prudent to be prepared for a water emergency. Follow these tips: