▼

Billings and Collections

Show All Answers

1. When is ONWASA's Operations Center open?

Our office hours are Monday - Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.

2. Where are ONWASA offices?

In addition to our Jacksonville Operations Center on Georgetown Road, we have three satellite offices located in the Holly Ridge Town Hall, Richlands Town Hall, and the Swansboro Town Hall. The Swansboro Town Hall closes for lunch from 12:00 noon - 1:00 pm daily.

3. Where can I mail my bill?

Please mail your bill to:
Onslow Water & Sewer Authority
PO Box 63036
Charlotte, NC 28263-3036

For other correspondence, please us this address:
PO Box 1415
Jacksonville NC 28541-1415

▼

Board of Directors

Show All Answers

1. When does the Board of Directors meet?

Every third Thursday at 6:00 pm at the Jacksonville City Hall.

2. Can I speak at the Board meeting?

Yes. The public is allowed three (3) minutes to speak to the Board during the Public Comments section of the meeting. In order to speak, you must register with the Clerk by signing in prior to the start of the meeting.

▼

Engineering and Planning Division

Show All Answers

1. How can I have a waterline installed in my neighborhood?

Currently ONWASA has a petition process that allows citizens to request water lines be installed. Water Line Petition

2. What is backflow?

The two most common types of backflow are back pressure and back siphoning, which are the result of positive or negative pressures. Back siphoning is commonly caused by main breaks or other conditions that create a drop in the water distribution system pressure, which allows contaminates to be sucked back into the municipal water supply and the customers internal drinking water supply. Back pressure occurs when a device such as a pump is used to force contaminates into the water distribution system by overcoming the distribution system's water pressure.

▼

Finance

Show All Answers

1. When are checks written for payments of invoices?

Checks are written each Wednesday and mailed no later than Thursday.

2. How do I get information about an invoice or payment on an invoice?

Contact Robin King at (910) 937-7568 or email.

▼

Metering and Service Division

Show All Answers

1. How can I tell if I have a water leak?

On each register you can easily tell if there is water leaking in the residence. If you have all water sources turned off and the red triangle in your meter register is not moving then there is no leak. If the red triangle is turning then there is a leak somewhere in or around the residence.

▼

Public Affairs

Show All Answers

1. How can I find out when my water or wastewater service might be interrupted?

We will place outage notification on our website under the Public Affairs Department and under the Operations Division. You can also go to service outages for information on planned and emergency outages in your area.

2. What if I see something suspicious?

To report suspicious activity near ONWASA facilities such as well, plants or other infrastructure, please call 910-455-0722.

▼

Purchasing

Show All Answers

1. I wish to be placed on the list of MBE suppliers/contractors to be notified of upcoming bid opportunities. Whom should I contact?

Contact Karen Fergason at (910) 937-7546 or email.

▼

Water Division

Show All Answers

1. How do I know my water is safe to drink?

Potable water from both the water treatment plants and the well field is treated with chlorine for disinfection purposes and these levels are monitored daily. ONWASA also performs daily, weekly, monthly and yearly sampling according to State and Federal rules to ensure the water meets Safe Drinking Water Standards.

We also rely on you the customer to report any water quality issues you may experience at your home. For a full list of water quality sampling ONWASA conducts please view EPA’s Drinking Water Watch.

2. Why do I see staff opening fire hydrants and wasting water when we are asked to conserve?

We conduct routine and non-routine flushing from these hydrants to remove debris after a main break, to freshen water in dead end lines, and to do water quality checks when there have been reported problems.

3. What is the Fluoride content of my water?

1.00 ppm

4. Why do you add chlorine to my water?

ONWASA adds chlorine to your water as a disinfectant. This ensures the water in our distribution system remains bacteria free. The average chlorine content in the system is 0.80 ppm. Normally the chlorine cannot be smelled or tasted at this level.

5. What is the hardness of my water?

Depending on where you live, your water can range from 12 ppm to 80 ppm. Areas supplied by the water treatment plants have a higher hardness than those supplied by the Black Creek well field. Softer water tends to make your skin feel slick after showering and harder water does not produce suds as well as softer water.

6. What causes the brown of yellow tinge in my water at times?

There are naturally occurring mineral in your water. These include iron, manganese, calcium, chloride and other dissolved minerals. The dissolved iron in the water will react with the chlorine and come out of the dissolved state. This iron settles to the bottom of our pipes and will lay there until disturbed by unusually high flow rates, such as fire department use, or a break in the line. This causes the iron to mix back into the water and cause a yellow or brown tinge. This water, though unsightly, is not a public health threat. These incidences usually clear within a few hours. If the problem persists you can call the office to report the problem.

7. Will ONWASA sample my water for contaminates?

ONWASA routinely performs 100 bacteriological samples throughout the distribution system. Although your home may not be personally tested the area you live in is represented in the sampling. The amount of chlorine is tested daily and once again your area is represented in these daily samples.
Certain tests such as lead and copper can only be sampled from homes meeting a certain criteria as there are no elevated levels of lead and copper in your source water.
All other sampling performed on your water is from the source and if no contaminants are found in the source the chances of them being found in our distribution system and therefore your home a very minimal.

If you are concerned about a particular regulated contaminant being in your home, there are independent laboratories that will analyze your water and ONWASA will be happy to provide you with those contact numbers.