The City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department is urging Wake Forest residents to be aware of several private companies attempting to sell water filtration systems in our area.
Public Utilities officials say a number of private companies have been sending out mass mailings and placing water sampling door hangers soliciting residents to purchase water filtration systems. Many of these door hanger solicitations include “water sampling kits” and indicate “Urgent Community Water Test.” These official looking mailings and door hangers are neither issued nor endorsed by the City of Raleigh.
Customers should be aware that accurate water quality sampling requires a specific collection and handling protocol, as well as a laboratory certified by North Carolina to conduct industry-accepted tests.
The Raleigh Public Utilities Department conducts thousands of water quality analyses throughout the year to ensure the drinking water you receive meets or exceeds all federal and state drinking water regulations. Considered “soft” with a measured hardness typically under 30.00 milligrams/liter as CaCO3, Raleigh’s drinking water should not require a water softener system. In comparison, water with a hardness of 120.00 milligrams/liter as CaCO3 or above is considered “hard.”
City of Raleigh water customers who have concerns regarding their water quality, such as discoloration or an unusual taste or odor, are urged to call the utilities department at 919-996-3245.
In July 2005 the Town of Wake Forest and the City of Raleigh merged their water and sewer systems. In accordance with the regional utility plan, the City of Raleigh assumed sole responsibility for operating, maintaining, improving and expanding the water and wastewater collection system that serves the Town of Wake Forest. Since then, the two municipalities have worked together to refine a schedule of upgrades and improvements to Wake Forest’s water and sewer system.
The City of Raleigh owns and operates the water and wastewater system that provides service to residents within the urban service area designated for the Town of Wake Forest. The town retained authority concerning when and where new water and sewer services can be extended to support growth and development within its planning and zoning jurisdiction, subject to conditions in the inter-local agreement.
The utility merger was part of a larger initiative to merge the utilities of central and eastern Wake County. The purpose of the utility mergers was to provide the towns’ customers with the benefits of economies of scale recognized with being part of a much larger system, and to provide the towns with adequate water and sewer capacity for continued economic growth.
For more information, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/water.aspx<http://www.wakeforestnc.gov/water.aspx>.
