TL;DR: Spring Lake Customers Must Boil Tap Water Starting 11 A.M. Sept. 13

TL;DR: The Town of Spring Lake ordered every customer on its municipal water system to boil tap water starting at 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, after a repeat sample collected Sept. 11 tested positive for E. coli, and the order stays in place until further notice.

The directive covers residents and businesses alike, according to the Cumberland County Government announcement. The town said routine water-quality testing plus required follow-up sampling found the bacteria in that Sept. 11 repeat sample. Tests at locations upstream and downstream from the original sampling site came back negative. Officials still put the townwide precaution into effect.

Who Is Covered And When The Order Started

The advisory applies to all customers served by the Town's water system, not to a single street or pressure zone. It became effective at 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026.

According to the Cumberland County Government, the notice will remain in place until further notice. The Town said it will notify customers immediately when boiling is no longer necessary.

That townwide scope shapes household and business planning. Every tap supplied by the municipal system is included while the notice is active. People who receive town water at home, at work, or in a rented unit are all instructed to treat tap water the same way.

The Sept. 13 start time also sets the reference point for ice and food safety steps described below. Anything prepared with unboiled tap water after the system became subject to the advisory needs attention under the town's instructions.

Why Officials Ordered Townwide Boiling

Routine water-quality testing led to the action. Required follow-up samples identified E. coli bacteria in a repeat sample collected on Sept. 11, 2026.

Additional testing of locations upstream and downstream from the original sampling site returned negative results, according to the county release. The town nevertheless moved to a full-system advisory out of an abundance of caution.

Coverage from CBS 17 describing the same county release reported the same sequence: E. coli in the repeat sample, negative results at the upstream and downstream check locations, and a precautionary townwide order.

For readiness planning, the distinction matters. A single positive repeat sample can trigger protective action even when nearby resamples are negative. Households should not assume a kitchen faucet is exempt because another test location passed.

How To Make Tap Water Safe For Drinking

Residents are advised not to drink tap water without boiling it first. The prescribed method is to bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute, then allow it to cool before using it.

Bottled water is listed as an alternative to boiled water while the advisory remains in place. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking.

The instruction to allow cooling before use is part of the safety procedure. Planners should factor in extra time for heating and cooling when scheduling meals, school lunches, work breaks, and care for infants or older adults.

Contact information is available for questions about the notice. For more information, the town listed Glenn McFadden at 910-890-3207 and [email protected].

Kitchen Steps: Food, Ice, Produce And Dishes

While the advisory remains in place, boiled or bottled water should be used for preparing food and beverages. The same requirement applies to making ice.

Boiled or bottled water should also be used for washing fruits and vegetables. Washing dishes and food-contact surfaces is on the same list.

Residents should discard any ice made from tap water since Sept. 8, 2026. That discard date reaches back five days before the 11 a.m. Sept. 13 start time.

For kitchens, that means ice cubes, bagged ice from a home freezer, and ice held for drinks or coolers should be thrown out if made with town tap water on or after Sept. 8. Households planning meals should switch ice trays, refrigerator ice makers, and drink dispensers to boiled water that has cooled or to bottled water.

Food businesses served by the town system face the same list. Preparing food and beverages, making ice, washing produce, and washing dishes and food-contact surfaces all call for boiled or bottled water until officials lift the notice.

Bathroom And Daily Hygiene Steps

Boiled or bottled water should be used for brushing teeth. Boiled or bottled water should also be used for preparing infant formula.

Bathing and showering are considered safe as long as water is not swallowed, according to the county announcement. That guidance lets households maintain normal washing routines while avoiding ingestion.

Coverage of the advisory on ABC11 Raleigh-Durham added that young children should be supervised so they do not swallow bath or shower water. Households with toddlers may want to plan sponge baths, reduced tub levels, or direct supervision to limit swallowing.

Pet care is included. Giving water to pets should use boiled or bottled water during the advisory period.

What To Share With Neighbors And Facilities

Residents and businesses are encouraged to share the notice with neighbors, schools, childcare facilities, nursing homes, medical offices and others who may not have received the advisory.

That sharing step is especially important for renters, employees, students, patients, and visitors who do not directly receive utility alerts. A workplace break room, rental kitchen, church kitchen, or daycare sink supplied by town water falls under the same boil requirement.

Business continuity plans should include a posted notice at every sink used for drinking, cooking, or brushing. Facilities can list the Sept. 13 start time, the one-minute rolling-boil rule, the Sept. 8 ice-discard date, and the contact number for questions.

The town said customers will be told immediately when boiling is no longer necessary. Until that all-clear message arrives, the sharing and posting steps remain part of the response.

Public Buildings Affected On Sept. 14 And Beyond

The Spring Lake office of the Cumberland County Department of Public Health will temporarily relocate staff to the main office located at 1235 Ramsey St. in Fayetteville on Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, as a precautionary measure.

People who planned an in-person visit to the Spring Lake health office on that Monday should go instead to 1235 Ramsey St. in Fayetteville. Households that rely on that office should confirm hours and services before traveling.

The Spring Lake Community Library will be closed until further notice. Library users should plan for no in-person access, including restrooms, drinking fountains, meeting rooms, and public computers, while the closure lasts.

Both changes show how a water notice can affect services beyond the kitchen faucet. Planners should check operating status before visiting public buildings in Spring Lake during the advisory.

Testing, Oversight And How The Advisory Ends

The Town is working closely with the North Carolina Public Water Supply Section and local health officials. Additional water samples are being analyzed.

The advisory will remain in effect until testing confirms the water is safe and officials authorize lifting the notice. That two-part test — laboratory confirmation plus official authorization — is the only endpoint described in the Sept. 13 announcement.

According to CBS 17, officials described the same standard, reporting that the advisory would stay in effect until testing confirms the water is safe and officials authorize lifting the notice.

For emergency kits, the practical takeaway is to keep enough bottled water for drinking, cooking, brushing, formula, produce washing, dish washing, and pets until that authorization is announced. Households should also keep a kettle or pot available for the one-minute rolling boil and a clean, covered container for cooled water.

General county information remains available through cumberlandcountync.gov, the MyCCNCGov app, and CCNCGOV social channels. The county government address listed with the release is Judge E. Maurice Braswell Courthouse, 117 Dick Street, Fayetteville, NC 28301. The Sept. 13 release was attributed to Sade' Wilson.

Sources referenced