Lucama town officials address ongoing water problems as residents demand answers

Lucama town officials are answering questions about why residents are still seeing brown water from their faucets and showerheads, even after years of complaints.

We learned that a solution has been on hold for years, partially because of past due audits.

You don’t have to go far in most houses in Lucama to find bottled water.

“I keep water behind my treadmill,” said Lynne Price. “I keep it in my closet. Always by my nightstand.”

Price said it’s not just for drinking. They use bottled water for everything since they don’t dare touch the tap.

“There used to be brown flakes, and now it’s just brown. It’s almost tea colored.”

Price said the water has come out like this since she moved in here almost a decade ago.

“We keep towels down here because when we step out of the shower, the water that drips off has permanently stained the other carpets that we would normally put our feet on.”

This isn’t just frustrating for many. It’s also costly. Price said the money adds up.

People across town said that last week brought some of the worst water they’ve seen. 

Town Administrator Elizabeth Krige said the most recent cause was due to a malfunction at the water filter plant, but high levels of iron have made even treated water a problem.

“I definitely feel like we’re headed in the right direction,” Krige said. “The board has been really proactive in trying to identify these opportunities to fix it.”

Krige said plans are in the works to replace 4,000 feet of water lines using grant money awarded in 2021. WRAL Investigates found that the process was held up by past due financial audits the town hadn’t turned in.

“We are on top of it now,” Krige said. “The staff that’s here, under the leadership of Mr. Ralph Clark, who is a retired town manager, were able to complete four audits in 18 months. So the staff worked really hard.”

The people who live in Lucama worry that a fix won’t ever come.

“If I had ever known that was an issue here, there’s no way I would have bought a home here,” Price said.

The Town said it’s waiting on one more approval from the Department of Environmental Quality before it can begin on the line replacement project. Contractors then would have 180 days to complete the work.