FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Broad River Water Authority keeps all customer records.

Yes, our e-bill service is provided by SouthData. To register for an e-bill, use the website address provided on the front of your bill, which is brwa.estmt.net, along with a registration ID. To register, provide an email address and create a password. For the first time set up, you will receive an email from South Data that must be verified one time only.

A link to your monthly statement will be emailed to you each time we process our monthly bills. No secondary email will be sent, and no paper bill will be mailed if the email is unopened or the link is not accessed.

The Broad River Water Authority’s top priority is to provide you with clean, safe water. Our water meets or exceeds North Carolina state regulatory standards. Water quality is continually monitored at the Water Treatment Plant, and representative water samples are regularly checked in our distribution system to ensure safe water reaches our customers. A summary of our testing results can be viewed in our annual Consumer Confidence Report.

In addition to keeping it safe, we aim to deliver aesthetically pleasing water to your home at consistent pressure and flow. Despite our best efforts, some customers may find their water to be unappealing at times, and pipe/fixture failure may interrupt or change service delivery. The following is a list of the most commonly reported complaints from our customers and a description of their cause.

To better understand your bill, click here to open a PDF of a bill with explanations.

To better understand how to read your water meter, click here to open an image file.

The easiest way to obtain water service is to click here to complete and submit our online utility services agreement. Once you complete the agreement, you will be contacted by a member of our customer service team to pay a deposit/start service. You can also come to our office, located at 112 N Main St, Rutherfordton to fill out a service agreement. If you are a tenant, a copy of your lease is required for starting service. 

The connection fee for all customers is $25.

For customers with good payment history, to establish an additional account or transfer an account, the fee is $25.

All-new system customers with 3/4" and 1" metered service must pay a $75 water deposit.

Customers who will receive sewer and/or sanitation service from the Towns of Spindale and Rutherfordton or Cliffside Sanitary District will need to pay a $50 sewer/sanitation deposit.  Town of Spindale customers are charged a $10 trash can fee.

All deposits will either be applied as a credit to accounts after 18 months if no late payments have been made or applied to the final bill when the account is closed.

Come to our office located at 112 N Main St, Rutherfordton, and fill out a new Service Agreement. Be prepared to pay a $25 connection fee and any unpaid fees on current service. A deposit may be required, depending on your payment history.

If your payment for the current month is late, your water will not automatically be cut off. A late fee of 9% or $6 minimum will be added to the amount. Past Due balances over 30 days will be indicated on the monthly bill with a due date indicated.

No second notice will be sent prior to disconnection. 

Scenario 1: Your water pressure suddenly drops throughout the house, and your neighbors experience a similar water outage.

Likely cause: A water main in your area may have broken or begun to leak. If you suspect this is the case, please contact the BRWA Office at 286-0640.

Scenario 2: Your water pressure suddenly drops throughout the house, but your neighbor’s pressure doesn’t change. 

The water meter is running, or clear sign of a leak. 

Likely cause: You may have a leak near/at your water meter or within your household plumbing. To determine whether the cause is a leak or your PRV (see below), look at your water meter. If the meter appears to be running, as indicated by a turning triangle on the meter face, then the leak is between the meter and your house.

Also, look for a clear sign of a leak, such as running or standing water in an unusual location, i.e., coming out of your meter box. If the leak is between the meter and your house, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to fix it. If the leak is at the meter itself or in the service line between the water main and your meter, we will send out a representative to repair the leak. Please contact the BRWA Office at 286-0640 for assistance.

Scenario 3: Your water pressure suddenly drops throughout the house, but your neighbor’s pressure doesn’t change.

Water meter not running, no sign of a leak.

Likely cause: Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV). The water pressure in our system varies throughout the day as elevated tank levels change and booster pumps are turned on and off.

However, the PRV in your household plumbing keeps water pressure in your house consistent throughout the day. If your PRV malfunctions, your water will suddenly drop to a small trickle shortly after being turned on. Maintaining the PRV is the homeowner’s responsibility.

Scenario 4: Your water pressure suddenly drops at one location in your house. 

Likely cause: clogged/blocked pipe. If you are only experiencing low flow at one location in your home, then the faucet/showerhead at the location is likely clogged or blocked. To fix the blockage, remove the aerator and clean out any sediment or debris that has accumulated in the faucet or service line.

Scenario 5: Your water pressure drops when using more than one faucet. 

Likely cause: a problem with your internal household plumbing or an undersized service line. If you have determined that your internal plumbing is working properly and are interested in increasing your service line size, please contact the BRWA Office at 286-0640 for assistance.

Chlorine or pool smell – The smell comes directly from the chlorine that is added to disinfect (kill any harmful bacteria, protozoa, viruses) your water. Chlorine concentrations vary throughout the system but typically range from 0.2 - 1.8 parts per million (much lower than pool water), which is the minimum necessary to keep the water safe at the boundaries of our system. Chlorine smell is typically more noticeable during warmer months, in your hot water (especially in the shower), and in the morning, when the water has warmed in your household plumbing overnight.

Some easy tips to limit the smell of chlorine in your drinking water are:

  • Running the water (or showering, flushing toilets, first) for a couple of minutes prior to grabbing a glass of water or making coffee.
  • Cooling your drinking water in a pitcher in the refrigerator.
  • Allowing your water to sit out for a few minutes prior to drinking.

     

Here is a list of the most commonly report taste/odor concerns:

  • Metallic Taste - This taste can come from natural elements in our source water and is often reported by new residence accustomed to drinking water from another region. Water can pick up tastes and odors from a new pipe or low usage in a certain area of the system. We aim to limit these issues by flushing low-use areas regularly.
  • Septic/sewer drains - The smell coming up from a dirty sink drain can cause someone to think their water is the source of the problem. If you notice that your water has a “dirty” taste or smell, try drinking it away from the sink. This issue can be fixed by cleaning out the drainpipe with a bleach solution.
  • Rubber or Plastic Taste – This problem is most commonly reported in the summer and is the result of a garden hose being hooked up to an outside faucet. As the hose heats up, it imparts an unpleasant odor into the water. If the spigot is left on or the backflow device does not hold, the odor can make it into the entire house. To fix this issue, simply turn off the spigot and disconnect the hose after each use.

If you have any questions about the taste and odor in your water, please feel free to call our office at 828-286-0640.

The most common cause of discoloration is abrupt changes to the flow of water in your service area. The change in pressure, flow, or direction in nearby water mains can stir up sediment from rust particles, causes your water to appear red or brown.

Pressure changes can also cause air bubbles to form in the water lines, which can appear milky coming out of your tap. These changes are most often due to fire hydrant flushing/testing or valve adjustments for pipe repair and maintenance. The discoloration should go away after a few hours but may require some flushing of your household plumbing.

Despite the appearance, the water is safe to drink during this time. If the problem persists for more than a day, please contact the main office for assistance.

The appearance of pink or dark gray film in your bathroom or kitchen is generally not a problem with water quality. The likely culprit is airborne bacteria that rely on moisture to survive. The most commonly identified species of bacteria is Serratia marcescent, which produces a pink hue, but other bacteria species are often found. These bacteria are usually reported in or around construction areas when dirt and dust are stirred up and most often at times of the year when windows and doors are left open.

Once the bacteria enter the home, they prefer to grow along the waterline in toilet bowls, tubs, or sinks and on faucets, showerheads, tiles and drains; all locations that stay moist but are not exposed to water for long periods. The water entering your home is disinfected with chlorine which kills any bacteria after moderate exposure time. The chlorine residual in your water reduces over time, and activated carbon filters remove chlorine from your water, so both filtered and stagnant water (toilets with limited use) are less resistant to bacterial growth.

To limit the growth of the bacteria, make sure to dry susceptible areas and disinfect them regularly. Using a disinfectant cake in the toilet reservoir and making sure the lid is down may also help. The most effective way to remove bacterial growth is through regular cleaning with a chlorine solution such as bleach. Avoid scrubbing with a brush or abrasive cleaner, which can cause small scratches, making it harder to remove the bacteria in the future.