Florence deals with systemwide water pressure issues

FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) — The city of Florence is dealing with systemwide water pressure issues on Friday, the city said in a news release.

As a result of flooding from Tropical Storm Debby that has occurred upstream of the city’s raw water intake along the Pee Dee River, the city’s surface water treatment plant started taking on water that contained high organic material.

The plant’s typical chemical levels, which are used for treatment, were not able to maintain and allow the city to produce potable water.

As a result, the Surface Water Treatment plant was shut down to allow the water to pass by the intake where water is collected. City utilities staff is in the process of draining the facility. Once that’s complete, they will start pulling and treating water from the river again.

City water customers will experience low to no water pressure and potentially some discoloration, the city said. The plant is anticipated to be back in operation later Friday afternoon.

Once normal water pressure is restored for customers, a systemwide boil water advisory will be issued. Although there’s been no confirmed contamination of the system, the loss of pressure gives a slight potential for bacteriological contamination, according to the city.

Count on News13 for updates.

* * *

Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.