Winston-Salem's Water Main Break: What Happened, and Why You Were Told Not to Drink the Water

For three days, roughly half of Forsyth County boiled its tap water. Here is what the record shows.

The short version

• A 24-inch water main broke on Wednesday, July 29.¹
• About 200,000 people were affected.^{2 3}
• The pipe sits about 40 feet underground, beneath a manmade pond.⁴
• The boil advisory was precautionary. No contamination was ever reported as found.
• All laboratory results the utility announced confirmed the water was safe.⁴
• The advisory was fully lifted Friday, July 31.³
• No cause has been released.

The timeline

• Wed. July 29, morning. The city posts an emergency alert warning of a substantial water main break.⁵
• Wed. July 29, 3 p.m. Officials hold a press conference. Utilities Director Courtney Driver describes it as an "all-hands-on-deck" situation.² One county official says: "This has never happened before."⁵
• Thu. July 30. The utility reports the main has been isolated and excavation has exposed the break.⁴
• Thu. July 30, evening. Service is restored to all customers. The advisory lifts for part of the area after lab testing. Kernersville and Walkertown keep boiling.^{2 4}
• Fri. July 31, afternoon. The advisory is lifted for all customers following repairs to the main.^{6 3}
• Sat. Aug. 1. The city posts "Water Main Break Restoration & Testing Complete."⁴

What broke

A 24-inch water main. In a statement carried by FOX8 WGHP, officials called it a critical component of the water distribution system and said the outage was unrelated to any previously scheduled shutoff work.²

The affected area ran from Walkertown to Kernersville and into Winston-Salem, according to the city's impact map.⁷ FOX8 reported outages in downtown Kernersville, Union Cross, and Walkertown.²

Repairs were slow for a specific reason. The utility said in its July 30 update that the damaged main sits beneath a manmade pond in a remote area, making access difficult, and that excavation showed it to be roughly 40 feet below ground.⁴

What it shut down

• Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The hospital told FOX8 some appointments and non-emergent procedures might be rescheduled, and that contingency plans were in place.²
• Forsyth County Detention Center. Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough said conditions and pressure had returned to normal by 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.⁵
• Schools. WS/FC Schools said staff at affected sites would be notified about work options, and campus activities might be adjusted.⁵
• Businesses. ABC45 reported downtown Winston-Salem restaurants closed and turned customers away, and that Kernersville businesses and county facilities shut down.⁶
• County facilities. Numerous facilities closed.³

Why you were told not to drink it

Nothing was ever reported as being found in the water. The advisory was about what could have gotten in.

The July 29 advisory, issued by Deputy Utilities Director Bill Brewer, gives the reason: periods of low or no pressure in the distribution system increase the potential for back siphonage and the introduction of bacteria.¹

The EPA explains the mechanism. It defines pressure loss as distribution system pressure below 20 pounds per square inch, and states that loss of pressure may cause a net movement of water from outside the pipe to the inside through cracks, breaks, or joints. According to the EPA, such failures carry a high potential for fecal contamination or other disease-causing organisms to enter a distribution system.⁸

Brewer told FOX8 that once service was restored, officials planned to test for coliforms, specifically E. coli.²

What that test actually detects

"Testing for E. coli" is easy to read as "they found E. coli." The EPA draws a narrower line.

• Total coliforms: the EPA describes them as a group of related bacteria that, with few exceptions, are not harmful to humans, and treats them as an indicator used to determine the integrity of the distribution system.⁹
• E. coli: in the Revised Total Coliform Rule, the EPA describes it as a more specific indicator of fecal contamination and potential harmful pathogens.⁹

NC State University's Water Management Program states that coliform or other bacteria in drinking water will not always cause illness, but their presence may indicate that other disease-causing organisms are also present.¹⁰

The health risk, if consumed

The CDC's Drinking Water Advisory Communication Toolbox states that water systems are concerned about bacteria such as E. coli, viruses such as norovirus, and parasites such as Cryptosporidium.¹¹

The New York State Department of Health states that these organisms primarily affect the gastrointestinal system, causing diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting, with or without fever.¹²

On likelihood, the same guidance states that the chance of becoming ill during a boil water event is usually low, but that illness is possible, with greater risk for people who have a chronic illness or are immunocompromised. It advises anyone with symptoms of gastroenteritis to seek medical attention, noting those symptoms are not unique to waterborne organisms.¹²

Why boiling, and why one minute

The city's advisory told customers to boil all water used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation, or to use bottled water. It stated that vigorous boiling for one minute is sufficient to kill any disease-causing organisms that may be present.¹

The CDC states boiling is the surest way to kill disease-causing organisms including viruses, bacteria, and parasites, and recommends a rolling boil for one minute. The CDC also states boiling does not remove chemicals.¹³

That explains the type of advisory issued. The CDC distinguishes boil water advisories from do not drink advisories, and states that do not drink advisories are typically issued when water is or could be contaminated with harmful chemicals or toxins, which boiling will not fix.¹⁴ Forsyth County was never placed under a do not drink advisory.

Two things people asked about

The hydrants. The utility said crews were flushing fire hydrants throughout the affected area to restore water quality and remove air or sediment, and described it as a normal and necessary part of the recovery effort.⁴

Bottled water. Forsyth County and the city partnered on distribution starting Thursday, July 30 at 10 a.m., run as drive-thru events while supplies lasted and limited to one case per vehicle.⁶

Still unknown

The utility has not publicly released a cause for the break, or the age or material of the failed main. The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utility Commission's next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 10.¹⁵

FAQ

What happened with the Winston-Salem water main break?

A 24-inch water main broke on July 29, 2026 beneath a manmade pond in eastern Forsyth County, roughly 40 feet underground, cutting service and pressure across the Walkertown–Kernersville–Winston-Salem area and triggering a precautionary boil water advisory that lasted about three days.

How many people were affected by the Forsyth County water main break?

About 200,000 people, according to FOX8 WGHP and WFDD.

Was the Winston-Salem water actually contaminated?

No contamination was ever reported as found. The boil water advisory was precautionary — issued because periods of low or no water pressure can allow bacteria to enter the pipes — and every laboratory result the utility announced confirmed the water was safe.

Why was a boil water advisory issued in Winston-Salem?

Because periods of low or no pressure increase the potential for back siphonage and the introduction of bacteria, according to the city's advisory. The EPA notes that when distribution pressure drops below 20 psi, water can move from outside the pipe to the inside through cracks and breaks, carrying a high potential for contamination.

When was the Winston-Salem boil water advisory lifted?

It was lifted for part of the affected area on July 30 after lab testing, and for all remaining customers — including Kernersville and Walkertown — on the afternoon of July 31, following repairs to the main.

How long should you boil water during a boil water advisory?

The city advised a vigorous boil for one minute. The CDC likewise recommends a rolling boil for one minute to kill viruses, bacteria, and parasites, and notes that boiling does not remove chemicals.

What caused the Winston-Salem water main break?

As of publication, the utility has not publicly released a cause for the break, or the age or material of the failed main. The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utility Commission's next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 10, 2026.

Footnotes

1. City of Winston-Salem — "BOIL WATER ALERT — System Pressure Advisory: July 29", issued by Bill Brewer, Deputy Utilities Director. Reason for the advisory (low/no pressure, back siphonage) and the boil-one-minute instructions. ↩ ↩² ↩³

2. FOX8 WGHP — "Water main break causing water outages, low pressure in eastern Forsyth County: 'All hands on deck'", "Half of Forsyth County residents impacted by water main break 40 feet below ground", and "Forsyth County water main break shuts down Kernersville businesses, county facilities". The ~200,000 figure, "all-hands-on-deck," the critical-component statement, the E. coli testing plan, affected localities, and the hospital impact. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

3. 88.5 WFDD — "Water main break affects eastern Forsyth County" and "Forsyth Boil Water Advisory lifted for all areas affected by water main break". The ~200,000 figure, county facility closures, and the full lifting of the advisory. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

4. City of Winston-Salem / WS-FC Utilities — "Update on Water Main Break and Boil Water Advisory" (July 30), "Boil Water Advisory Rescinded for Portions of Impacted Area" (July 30), and the WS-FC Utilities alert center ("Rescinded for All Customers: July 31" and "Restoration & Testing Complete: Aug. 1"). Isolation and excavation of the main, the ~40-foot depth beneath a manmade pond, lab results confirming safe water, hydrant flushing, and the restoration timeline. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

5. WFMY News 2 — "'This has never happened before' | 24-inch water main break causes widespread water outages in Forsyth County" and "Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities says 24-inch water main break is under a manmade pond". The emergency alert, the "never happened before" quote, and the detention center and schools impacts. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

6. ABC45 — "Boil water advisory lifted for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County residents, water main repairs" and "Hundreds of Forsyth County, Winston-Salem residents receive free bottled water for outage". Business closures, the full lifting of the advisory, and the bottled-water distribution details. ↩ ↩² ↩³

7. City of Winston-Salem — interactive impact map. Extent of the affected area. ↩

8. U.S. EPA Region 8 — "Loss of Pressure in Drinking Water Systems". The 20-psi definition, the net-movement mechanism, and the high potential for contamination during pressure loss. ↩

9. U.S. EPA — "Revised Total Coliform Rule and Total Coliform Rule"; Federal Register — "National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Revisions to the Total Coliform Rule" (Feb. 13, 2013). Total coliforms as a system-integrity indicator and E. coli as a more specific indicator of fecal contamination. ↩ ↩²

10. NC State University Environmental Health and Safety, Water Management Program — "Total Coliform / E. coli". Presence of coliforms may indicate other disease-causing organisms are present. ↩

11. CDC — Drinking Water Advisory Communication Toolbox, Q&As for Boil Water Advisories. The bacteria, viruses, and parasites of concern (E. coli, norovirus, Cryptosporidium). ↩

12. New York State Department of Health — "Boil Water Notices: FAQs for Hospitals and Other Resident Medical Facilities". Gastrointestinal symptoms, the generally low likelihood of illness, higher risk for immunocompromised people, and the advice to seek medical attention. ↩ ↩²

13. CDC — "Boil Water Advisory" (Natural Disasters). Boiling as the surest method, the rolling-boil-for-one-minute recommendation, and that boiling does not remove chemicals. ↩

14. CDC — "Drinking Water Advisories: An Overview". The distinction between boil water advisories and do not drink advisories. ↩

15. City of Winston-Salem — calendar: Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utility Commission regular meeting, Aug. 10, 2026. ↩