Durham Saves Water

Durham Saves Water Help Wayne Drop and everyone in the City of Durham encourage our residents, students, businesses, and supporters to USE WATER WISELY. Every ounce counts!

Water and wastewater services are a critical function of a healthy community. The Department of Water Management has more than 300 dedicated employees that provide an adequate supply of safe drinking water to customers and visitors of Durham. We are also responsible for protecting the environment by making sure that wastewater treated at the water reclamation facilities meets all discharge/permit

limits. The department has a wide variety of support divisions and programs to maintain the existing infrastructure that provides these integral services and strive to be a responsible steward of the City’s Physical Assets. Treatment facilities are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Emergency response teams for water main breaks, sewer spills and other emergency maintenance are always available as well. Maintaining the financial integrity of the water and sewer systems is also a priority and key function of the department. Customer Billing Services strives to accurately bill all customers for their water and sewer services. Rates are evaluated annually to ensure that the department is providing cost-effective services while ensuring that necessary capital projects are funded appropriately. Please note, this Facebook account is not monitored 24/7. Report water service-related emergencies to 919-560-1200 (after hours: 919-560-4344).

06/13/2026

Durham Central Park is the only place to Bee right now…because it’s bee day! Stop by and visit our booth after you check out all the great vendors at the Farmer’s Market.

06/10/2026

Good morning. Just putting this out there: Third Fork Creek is not a source of Durham's drinking water. Our water supply comes from Lake Michie and Little River Reservoir, which are fed by Flat River and Little River respectively.

It's the last day of National Drinking Water Week, and there are so many different positions and divisions that help get...
05/09/2026

It's the last day of National Drinking Water Week, and there are so many different positions and divisions that help get water from our lakes to your tap that it's hard to keep up. In addition to water plant operators, we've got mechanics, engineers, lab specialists, water efficiency experts, distribution maintenance specialists, and Cross Connection Control to name just a few.

Cross Connection Control is vital to keeping our water supply safe by preventing backflow issues that could contaminate the water supply. Our Cross Connection Control team is led by Nissa Pauley. Nissa is the president of the Carolina's Chapter of the American Backflow Prevention Association. And the Carolina's Chapter recently received the Presidential Award for Chapter Excellence from the American Backflow Prevention Association. This is a testament to Nissa's leadership and her passion for keeping our drinking water safe. Thank you, Nissa!

Okay, it's National Drinking Water Week and it's Wednesday. Let's go to the numbers:Sources of water: Two lakes (Lake Mi...
05/06/2026

Okay, it's National Drinking Water Week and it's Wednesday. Let's go to the numbers:

Sources of water: Two lakes (Lake Michie and the Little River Reservoir)

Water treatment plants: Two plants (Brown and Williams Water Treatment Plants)

Size of distribution system (total length of waterlines): 1,311 miles

Distribution lines replaced in 2025: 13,720 feet

New water mains added in 2025: 88,851 feet

Total number of metered connections: 110,215

Average daily use in 2025: 29.45 Million Gallons

Future sources of water supply: Two - Jordan Lake and Teer Quarry

2025 Durham population estimate: 333,490

Water Management Employees: 360

That's right. 0.0011% of the population provides Durham Water and Sewer services 24/7/365.

Hats off to our team!

Each year during National Drinking Water Week, we announce the winners of our annual poster contest. This year's theme w...
05/05/2026

Each year during National Drinking Water Week, we announce the winners of our annual poster contest. This year's theme was Guardians of the Drop. These students inspired us with their creativity and imagination. Thank you and congratulations!

Here's a video of their work: https://youtu.be/0UEXb4pL0uc

Grades K-2
1st - Emmanuel Medina-Salas - Southwest Elementary School (1st place in state competition)
2nd - James Gurysh - Walltown Afterschool
3rd - Hazel Hill - Murray Massenburg Afterschool

Grades 3-5
1st - Brenna Alston - Club Boulevard Elementary (1st place in state competition)
2nd - Oliver Stover - Durham Academy (2nd place in state competition)
3rd - Carly Sagi - Durham Academy (3rd place in state competition)

Grades 6-8
1st - Dionna Haywood - Lowes Grove Middle School (2nd place in state competition)
2nd - Abram Kim - Voyager Academy
3rd - Ellie Cherry - Voyager Academy

Please enjoy a montage featuring the winners of this year's water conservation poster contest!

Thank you to Mayor Leonardo Williams and the Durham City Council for proclaiming May 3-9, 2026 as National Drinking Wate...
05/05/2026

Thank you to Mayor Leonardo Williams and the Durham City Council for proclaiming May 3-9, 2026 as National Drinking Water Week. A special thank you to Council Member Matt Kopac (pictured right) for reading the proclamation. Plant Operator Ralph Horne (pictured left) from the Williams Water Treatment Plant was on hand to accept the proclamation and deliver a great speech. And what would we ever do without Wayne Drop!?!

(Wayne Drop is the one in the middle.🤣)

We are grateful for our team!

May 3–9 is National Drinking Water Week! Hats off to our water operators and staff at the Williams Water Treatment Plant...
05/03/2026

May 3–9 is National Drinking Water Week! Hats off to our water operators and staff at the Williams Water Treatment Plant (pictured top) and the Wade G. Brown Water Treatment Plant (pictured bottom). These teams work around the clock to ensure Durham customers have reliable water at their taps. Thank you!

Address

1600 Mist Lake Drive
Durham, NC
27704

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+19195601200

Website

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