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Residents Press Bladen County on 'Yellow' Tap Water as Officials Outline Fixes
Summary
At a Feb. 16 meeting residents from the Westwater/Bladen Union Church Road area urged commissioners for relief after months of yellow, iron‑stained tap water; the county and Bladen County Water District described pump replacements and chemical recalibration and gave a tentative 4–8 week technical estimate to stabilize water quality.
Betty Jo Merritt and neighbors told the Bladen County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 16 that discolored water has stained toilets, bathtubs and clothing and left families worried about health and hygiene. "Clean water is a fundamental human right," Merritt said, asking the board to consider a $500 credit to offset months of billed water she called "awful water."
Melanie Woodruff, who said she lives a few doors down, told the board she has four children and is "not necessarily comfortable with my daughter sitting in a bathtub of orange water," and said she and her family now use bottled water for drinking and bathing.
Later in the meeting Bladen County Water District staff gave a technical update on corrective…
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