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CHAPEL HILL -- What started as a water-plant problem for the Orange Water and <br />Sewer Authority escalated Friday into a full-blown, community-wide emergency for <br />residents of southern Orange County. <br />The utility and the Orange County Health Department advised customers of OWASA -- <br />the primary source of drinking water for Chapel Hill, Carrboro and UNC Chapel Hill -- <br />both to avoid using and avoid drinking the public supply. <br />One of those orders addressed conservation, the other the preservation of public health <br />and prevention of disease. <br />OWASA Executive Director Ed Kerwin said it would be late Saturday afternoon before <br />the utility will know when the water is again safe to drink, and late Sunday, at the <br />earliest, before customers can again use tap water. <br />Even before Friday's do-not-drink order went out, the situation prompted officials at <br />UNC to close the university. <br />They told non-essential workers to go home or stay home, and took the additional step <br />of advising students who live in campus housing to “consider leaving campus for the <br />weekend if they are able.” <br />Housing officials Tweeted late Friday that the dorms will not close, as they're bringing in <br />portable toilets and bottled water. <br />Off campus, the situation forced schools, restaurants and other business to close, and <br />prompted a run on bottled water. <br />The Wal-Mart off U.S. 15-501 was out of water before 2 p.m. with several shoppers <br />saying they'd already tried their luck at nearby grocery stores. Popular substitutes were <br />milk, juice, soda and beer.