How does water get into your faucet?
You turn on a faucet and water comes out. It’s something you expect — and may even take for granted.
But how does that happen? Is it magic? Or is it because of the hard work of lots of people?
Well, it’s a lot of hard work and a little bit of magic courtesy of Mother Nature.
Greenville Utilities Commission (www.guc.com/water) is at the heart of Greenville’s water supply, and a licensed plumber — like the ones Sam Pollard & Son — is the key to making that water flow out of your faucet.
Here’s how it all works:
First, Greenville Utilities (our local municipal water company) collects water from the Tar River as it flows through Pitt County. Pipes take the water to the Greenville Utilities Water Treatment Plant on Mumford Road north of the river where it is cleaned and chemicals are added to make it safe for drinking.
The treated water then is pumped into two 3-million-gallon ground storage tanks which feed the underground distribution system that takes the water to local homes and businesses.
GUC also has two elevated tanks that store up to 2.5 million gallons of the treated water; one is located near the Wal-Mart on Greenville Boulevard and the other is near the intersection of Greenville Boulevard and 14th Street. An electric pump at the base of the tower forces the water up into the tank. Then gravity goes to work, pulling the treated water down through a large pipe and into the network of “water main” pipes under city streets.
When the water gets to the edge of your property near the curb, a service line connects the water main to your house. A meter measures how much water you use on your property, and you receive a bill from Greenville Utilities Commission.
That service line has a valve that can be closed to stop the flow of water into your home when plumbing repairs are needed.
If you have any issues with the pipes that deliver water into your home, contact Sam Pollard & Son at 252-752-3661.
