LUMBERTON, NC (WBTW) – Southeastern Health received a $354,600 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation to install a potable water well on Southeastern Regional Medical Center’s (SRMC) main campus.
Vice President of Corporate Services, David Sumner, told News13 the well would only be used in emergency situations.
“Once the well’s installed it’ll be a matter of switching a few valves, and turning it on,” Sumner explained. “So essentially it will be immediate when it’s needed, [and] it will be readily available for us.”
Sumner said the hospital did not having drinkable city water for two weeks when Hurricane Matthew hit in Oct. 2016.
“We actually wound up with what we called a bucket brigade where we were having people carrying barrels of water from the well on campus to the restrooms for our patients,” he said. “As well as our staff to keep the area safe and sound.”
Sumner said tankers brought in gallons of water within 18 hours of the hurricane.
“We had to rally with out medical staff, with our nurses, and with our administrative team to determine what do we do about water, and how do we do it quickly?,” he explained.
SRMC currently has three wells on its campus. However, those wells are only used for industrial purposes.
“We were always behind, and could not keep up while running those barrels 24/7,” said Director of Facility Services Joseph Buri. “We had to purchase water that was brought in by tankers. This grant will allow us to update our well and provide potable water for consumption and use in the event of another emergency such as Hurricane Matthew.”
Sumner said the fourth well will be larger than the other three, and will have a filtration system so the water will be drinkable.
“No doubt that if this were to happen again, which I hope it never does, but if it does we will be equipped to sustain in-place with the potable water that we need to provide the care for our patients,” Sumner said. “And at the end of the day that’s what we’re all about.”
Sumner said construction for the new well will begin in mid-September, and that it will be located near West 27th Street, but should not cause any road closures.