FLORENCE, SC (WMBF) – Officials in Florence are releasing new details about what led to systemwide water pressure issues and a boil water advisory last week.

In a statement released Thursday, the city said City Manager Scotty Davis had assigned Superintendent Josh Whittington to brief the staff involved and create a detailed timeline for the public. The statement also said Davis had asked Whittington to “identify improvements to avoid future problems.”

The city’s full report includes a timeline of events since the evening of August 15 – as well as test results, boil water advisories and the city’s bacteriological analysis laboratory’s standard operating procedures (SOPs).

The next day, August 16, officials reported water pressure problems and said flooding had occurred as a result of Tropical Storm Debby, “which occurred upstream of the city’s raw water intake on the Pee Dee River. The city’s surface water treatment plant began receiving water that contained high levels of organic matter.”

Because of these problems, the city’s water treatment plant had to be shut down to allow water to bypass the water main. The plant was eventually reopened, but a boil water advisory was issued over the weekend as a precautionary measure. Authorities lifted that advisory on Monday.

“On behalf of the City of Florence, I apologize for the inconvenience to our customers this past weekend,” Davis said in a statement. “I want to assure the public that the City Council has allocated the necessary resources to improve water quality for our customers. I am working closely with the Utilities Department management team and we are working diligently to put the necessary protocols in place to restore the trust of those we serve.”

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