Important Notice To Pluris Wedgefield Customers

Late on the evening of August 21, 2026, a severe lightning strike caused damage to the water treatment facility, to include computers, SCADA, PLC’s, and communication equipment resulting in low water pressure for customers for approximately three hours. The SCADA system is purposely designed and programmed for an extreme event such as this to enter a fail-safe mode. The fail-safe mode ensures continuing operation of critical systems such as pumps and disinfection equipment. At no time did the system pressure drop below the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (“FDEP”) requirement of 20 psi. Our field crew immediately implemented emergency procedures and worked diligently to restore water pressure to affected customers as quickly as possible.

In addition, a 4-inch water main break occurred on Majestic Street, resulting in a temporary loss of water service to the 36 connections located along the street. Once the repair was completed, a precautionary Boil Water Advisory was issued, and affected addresses received the precautionary boil water notices by door tags. Our field crew followed established emergency procedures to restore water service and ensure that the appropriate precautionary boil water notices were provided to all affected customers.

Field operations staff were immediately deployed to the water treatment facility and the water main line break. The FDEP was noticed and updated through the events. Field operation staff assessed the lightning strike damages at the water treatment plant as well as repairing the watermain line, which was concluded at approximately 2 AM ET. Per FDEP requirements, bacterial water samples for laboratory testing were obtained and pending results expected later today (Tuesday August 25th) the precautionary boil water notice to the 36 residents should be cleared for the residents. The notice remains in effect until the laboratory provides the results and Pluris notifies the affected residents.

Our Customer Care number, 888-758-7471, is answered after hours by a service that was actively receiving calls throughout the low-pressure event. Due to the high volume of calls received, customers may have experienced a wait time. However, all calls were answered and promptly dispatched to our field crew, and customers were provided with available information regarding the emergency.

Please note that correspondence sent to our Customer Care email address, [email protected], is monitored during regular business hours and will be addressed by our representatives on the next business day.

We appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding as our field crews worked diligently to address these incidents and restore water service as quickly and safely as possible.

Florida and North Carolina Managers – A Common Passion for Customer Service and Innovation

November 2015

 

Joe Kuhns (left) and Randy Hoffer have nearly 60 years of combined experience in the water and wastewater industry. The two veterans recently met up at one of Pluris’s membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) treatment facilities. They got together to discuss treatment and customer service improvements in meter reading and billing technologies Pluris is implementing in the utilities. As regional managers, Joe oversees all Florida operations and Randy oversees all operations in North Carolina. Both veterans hold numerous advanced water and wastewater licenses in their respective states and each has a passion for customer service and innovation.

Joe is currently directing the installation of approximately 7,000 advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) meters in the Florida utilities and recently shared, “I am excited about providing customers with the ability to have additional control over their water use through near real-time automatic meter reading and associated web portals allowing them to monitor usage 24/7/365 online”.

Randy was hired by Pluris when the company acquired the Onslow County wastewater utility he had worked for 20 years. He noted, “Pluris came in and brought wastewater capacity to an area that had not had any improvements since I first joined the former utility 20 years earlier. Local elected officials and landowners assumed Pluris would be no different and with Pluris adding capacity with construction of the new MBR wastewater treatment facility elected officials, land owners and regulatory agencies saw Pluris as a proactive organization. Pluris is currently completing a second MBR facility in Pender County,

Customers wanting to talk to Joe and Randy can send them an email at [email protected] and [email protected], respectively. Both veterans enjoy talking with customers and will arrange for a convenient personal meeting.

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