‘Limit water use’ order from Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority after Helene exits
The effects of Helene, which was downgraded to a tropical storm Friday morning, led to widespread power outage issues at Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority, resulting in the service to ask its customers to suspend all non-essential water use through the weekend.
Water is safe to use, but decreasing demand will help prevent further complications.
BJWSA is working on its damage assessment, but early evaluations are revealing that Helene caused “the worst storm damage we’ve experienced since Hurricane Mathew in 2016,” said Verna Arnette, BJWSA’s general manager. “We’re in contact with our power-supply partners and using generators where possible.”
Residents should:
- Suspend all non-essential water use, including irrigation.
- Keep stormwater out of sanitary sewers.
- Stay out of floodwaters that may contain dangerous organisms and wildlife.
- Don’t pile storm debris near water meter shutoff valves or fire hydrants.
A reduction is water usage reduces the strain on the authority’s water and sewer treatment systems and assures it can meet essential needs as crews work to recover.
Requests for service may take longer than usual until critical systems are fully operational, BJWSA said. The authority’s ability to treat the water has not been affected.
This story was originally published September 27, 2024 at 12:22 PM.
