DALLAS, N.C. (WBTV) – Back-to-back water main breaks have left thousands of people in the Town of Dallas without water, causing schools and businesses to close.
Utility crews have been working nonstop to repair the water main breaks, which occurred in the area of E. Main Street and N. Davis Street, Mayor Hayley Beaty said.
In the center of town, Cake Me Away Bakery brought in its own portable water so it could keep up with a surge of holiday orders.
“We had to find a solution, whatever that meant, because our orders have to get done,” Brittany Pressler, the bakery’s owner, said. “Right now, it’s just scary, because we’re unsure how it’s going to affect us, and every hour in this industry counts.”
Beaty said in a 2 p.m. briefing that the water main breaks were caused by disruptions to pipes that are more than 80 years old. Long-term improvements to water infrastructure would likely require state or federal help, Beaty said. Town leaders expected water to be restored to customers sometime Tuesday night.
A Boil Water Advisory will remain in effect until water is restored.
“All the municipalities in North Carolina are also struggling with this; it’s not just the Town of Dallas. It takes a lot of patience and teamwork to work together and make this happen,” Beaty said.
Beaty went on to suggest that more water main breaks could lead to future interruptions in water service.
“I’m hopeful for a long-term water infrastructure solution as well,” Beaty said. “This could happen again. These water lines are very delicate so this is just a piece of the product of growth. We are being proactive but with proactiveness comes hiccups and sometimes those hiccups are what we need to work on.”
More than 6,000 people live in the Town of Dallas.
Along with schools in Dallas, the Gaston County Public Library Dallas Branch, the Citizens Resource Center, and the Gaston County Museum of Art & History were closed to the public on Tuesday.
Copyright 2025 WBTV. All rights reserved.