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The utility kept the over-fluoridated water from reaching its distribution network, <br />and by Friday Durham was sending OWASA water at the rate of about 7 million <br />gallons a day, said Vicki Westbrook, the city’s assistant director of water <br />management. Chatham County also began sending water, and OWASA said it was <br />working with Hillsborough as well. The water coming from Chatham County was <br />discontinued Saturday evening. <br />Still, with the Jones Ferry Road plant offline, water levels in OWASA’s storage <br />tanks fell. And then on Friday, the water main broke off Dobbins Drive, along <br />U.S. 15-501 near the old Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina <br />headquarters. <br />The loss of 1.5 million gallons from the break torpedoed water pressure, a health <br />concern because without pressure, water doesn’t flow and harmful bacteria can <br />more easily grow in the mains. The water loss also meant there wasn’t enough <br />supply. <br />The utility began working to restore the treatment plant to normal operation and <br />to repair the water main. But the plant’s output required testing before the utility <br />could safely advise customers to use their water again. <br />“We appreciate the cooperation of the community during this incident, and we <br />are grateful to our partners at the City of Durham, Chatham County and the town <br />of Hillsborough for their assistance,” Kerwin said. <br />The water emergency sent residents to friends and hotels outside the affected <br />area. UNC told students living on campus, where 100 portable toilets had been <br />set up, to leave if they could until the water was safe to use again. <br />Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents, in addition to those on campus, were told to <br />use bottled water for all purposes, including flushing toilets. <br />County officials said 33 pallets of bottled water were being distributed per hour <br />Saturday morning across southern Orange County. <br />Four distribution sites were set up in Chapel Hill and Carrboro to give residents <br />bottled water that remained open until 6 p.m. Saturday. Officials said they were <br />did not know how many organizations or volunteers participated during the <br />water shortage but would compile the information for a report.