Live Oak well outage raises long-term water questions for Bladen County

A recent outage at the Live Oak well prompted a water-system update to the Bladen County Board of Commissioners June 1, with district staff saying they continue to monitor the site and evaluate options to restore reliable service.

Logan, a representative from the water district, told the board crews pulled and video-inspected the Live Oak well and found casing and screens in good condition. Pump testing, however, showed the static water level has dropped compared with when the well was originally installed. "It looks like we'll be able to put it back online, just pump it at a lower rate," Logan said, while acknowledging the worst-case scenario could require finding and developing a replacement well.

Residents reported discolored water in the Hickory Grove/Ballpark Road area during the outage; the water-district representative said contractors working in the area likely caused temporary water color changes and staff had not identified a widespread water-quality failure.

County discussion focused on monitoring, upgrades, and funding: commissioners asked for more frequent data and for staff to produce a spreadsheet tracking hydrant replacements and work orders. County staff said a hydrant costs roughly $3,500 to install and takes about two crew-hours.

Why it matters: The Live Oak well serves the north end of the county’s east side service area. Lower static water levels may limit pumping capacity and increase risk during drought or heavy demand; commissioners urged staff to seek funding and to plan for long-term supply stability rather than short-term fixes.

Next steps: The well driller will install monitoring equipment and continue pump tests; the county will track hydrant replacements in a shared spreadsheet and pursue funding options for long-term water-system improvements.