A system pressure advisory has been issued by the Beaufort County Water Department for portions of the South Side Water District. Customers in the impacted area may experience outages and periods of low pressure. This advisory was issued in the evening hours of May 21 and remains in effect until further notice.

The water department advises that affected consumers boil all water used for human consumption (including drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation) or use bottled water.

Impacted areas include parts of the water system to the south and west of Chocowinity. Roads affected include portions of U.S. Highway 17 South, portions of N.C. Highway 33 West, Portions of N.C. Highway 102, Elks Road, Old New Bern Road, Hodges Road, Carrow Road, Wells Road, Fredrick Road, Harding Road, Langley Road, Harding Lane, Gray Road, Possum Track Road, James Lane, Chandler Road, Cayton Road, East and West Barr Road, Carrow Lane and Pollard Road.

Vigorous boiling for one minute should kill any disease-causing organisms that may be present in the water. It is further advised that customers conserve water whenever possible.

Cloudiness or discoloration may also appear in your water when it is restored. These changes should only be temporary and should clear after a short period of time. Please refrain from washing laundry if any discolored water is noticeable, as it could stain light colored clothing.

According to officials from the Water Department, the low pressure was caused by a damaged fire hydrant. The department has repaired the damaged hydrant and samples of water are being tested to ensure that water is safe for human consumption. Results from those tests may not be returned until Wednesday.