DATE: Wednesday, July 30, 1997              TAG: 9707300517

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY JEFFREY S. HAMPTON, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CAMDEN                            LENGTH:   63 lines

WATER UNFIT TO DRINK, SOUTH CAMDEN TOLD BACTERIA HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE SUPPLY LINES, OFFICIALS REPORT.

State authorities have issued a warning to ``boil all water'' to 600 customers of South Camden after a woman developed eye infections from taking showers and her dogs got diarrhea from drinking tap water.

``I've had coliform in my water every day since July 21,'' said Donna Walker of Sandy Hook Road. ``What are they going to do to fix this?''

Walker travels to her father's house 40 minutes away in Currituck County now to take a shower. Her dogs had diarrhea for weeks when she gave them the Camden water, but it cleared up when she started giving them bottled water, she said.

When Camden officials did not take action to solve the problem, Walker called Mike Bell, supervisor of the N.C. Public Water Supply Section in Washington, N.C.

Bell, Camden officials, and Debbie Hobbs of the Elizabeth City water plant have run 15 tests on Walker's water since May. At least half the tests showed high levels of bacteria, according to published results.

``We're buying 3 million gallons a month and we're flushing a million of that,'' Camden County Manager John Smith said in defense of the county's efforts. The county has recently contracted with an engineer to monitor testing.

South Camden buys water from Elizabeth City at $3 per 1,000 gallons. The water is stored in a water tank at the corner of South 343 and Palmer Road.

Tests show the water is clean from Elizabeth City and in the Camden water tank. The problem comes from bacteria in the Camden water lines, according to the state's warning.

``The presence of these bacteria in the drinking water appears to be a result of water quality deterioration in the pipes that distribute the water and indicates that the water may be contaminated with organisms that can cause disease,'' the warning says. It will be sent in the mail to all customers in the South Camden Water and Sewer District.

``It's not normally harmful for drinking,'' Smith said. ``I drink the water every day.''

The warning also says county officials will be adding more chlorine to the water to reduce bacteria levels.

Smith said the farther the water travels from the water tank the less the chlorine and the higher the bacteria count.

Walker lives six miles from the tank. Her troubles began a year ago when she signed on to the South Camden Water and Sewer System because her well was shallow and full of rust.

Not long after she began using county water, she developed an eye infection. She never drank the water.

``I told the doctor the only thing in my life that's changed has been my water,'' Walker said from her home Tuesday.

Walker dropped the county water after one week. She resumed using well water until April 1997 when she decided to try Camden's system again. She developed an eye infection again.

Since May, authorities from the state, the county and Elizabeth City have found coliform in the water and no trace of chlorine.

Walker said the coliform has spread to other parts of South Camden now. She continues to buy bottled water and says she will not pay her $20 water bill this month.

``You can't do this to people,'' Walker said. ``Just because you can't see or smell it, doesn't mean it won't hurt you.''

Neither Mike Bell or Debbie Hobbs could be reached for comment.

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