Schools closed in Tarboro, under boil water advisory due to major leak

A boil water advisory is in place Friday in Tarboro and schools were closed after a major water leak.

2023-12-08

Tarboro schools will all be closed Friday. Bus riders were dismissed before 9 a.m., and students already at school were dismissed early, according to the district.

According to the town of Tarboro, residents in Tarboro and Edgecombe County are experiencing low water pressure and outages due to a "major water leak in the system."

The low pressure can introduce bacteria into the water system, prompting the boil advisory.

Water should be boiled vigorously for 1 minute before it is used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation. Customers can also use bottled water.

A spokesperson from the water treatment plant wrote on Facebook: "A series of test samples will be taken throughout Tarboro to ensure water is safe for consumption. These tests take 24 hours to complete. Once tests are complete and the results show water is safe for consumption, we will lift the notice."

The water leak occurred Friday morning, so it could take until Saturday morning or later for the water samples to be returned.