"Drinking Water Woes Complicate Matthew Cleanup"

"Damaging flood waters steal so many things, including the reliable drinking water supplies people usually take for granted.

If the floodwater would get out of his way, Rob Armstrong could get on with the job of restoring drinking water to the battered city of Lumberton. But that is going to take time.

“We’ve got four feet of water over our only treatment plant. It’s damaged quite severely at this point,” the city’s public works director said Thursday.

Not only is the power grid down in the Robeson County city, so is a drowned back-up generator at the plant. Equipment used to sanitize drinking water and extract sediment is very likely damaged too. No one knows how many busted water pipes are waiting to be discovered in a system 20,000 people are sorely missing right now."

Catherine Clabby reports for North Carolina Health News October 14, 2016.

SEE ALSO:

"Poor, Displaced and Anxious in North Carolina as Floods Climb After Hurricane" (New York Times)

"Hospitals Cope with Lost Power, Contaminated Water in Matthew’s Wake" (North Carolina Health News)

"The Latest: Lumberton Could Be Without Water For 2 Weeks" (AP)