Pittsboro water

Pittsboro officials say the city's drinking water is incompliant with state regulations. Restricted levels of trihalomethanes, or THMs, are in the water.

For six years, officials say THMs have been a problem and still there's no word on a solution. Some city residents say the water problem poses an incovenience.

Jay LeBlanc says after the floods of Hurricane Katrina ravaged his home, he moved to Pittsboro.

“We didn't have the problems there that we do here,” he said.

LeBlanc says ever since he moved in he's been getting notices saying the water he's been using violates drinking water standards.

In Pittsboro, LeBlanc is faced with what city officials say are restricted levels of THMs in the city's water, and LeBlanc believes THMs might be the reason for the red mold in the shower among other problems.

“We have a problem with the water because the water itself has a real odor to it,” said LeBlanc, however John Poteat, director of Public Works and Utilities, questions that.

“They shouldn't have any noticeable difference,” said Poteat.

Town manager Bill Terry says THMs are the byproduct of chlorine and carbon. Experts say over a long period of time the combination of chemicals can increase the risk of problems with your liver, kidneys, or central nervous system and could cause cancer.

“It’s not an acute problem; it's a long term exposure problem,” said Terry.

Terry adds the water is safe to drink, however the state mandates the levels of THMs should not exceed a certain level, but according to notices like the one LeBlanc has gotten, the average THM levels have been more than twice the state limit.

Poteat says this has been an ongoing problem.

“Out of the last five years, we were out of incompliance three times,” said Poteat.

So for now LeBlanc says he's not taking any chances with the city's water.

“To be on the safe side, we buy all our drinking water,” added LeBlanc.