Commercial Plumbing in Pittsboro, NC

Who runs the water and sewer for a Pittsboro business?

TriRiver Water took over the Town of Pittsboro's water and wastewater operations on July 1, 2024, and its customer service number is 919-775-8215. Three subdivisions outside town limits, Laurel Ridge, Chapel Ridge and The Parks at Meadowview, are billed and serviced by Aqua, a private company, under an older contract with the town. Outlying properties may be on county lines or private wells depending on the address.

Pittsboro is the only municipality drawing drinking water from the Haw River, and news coverage has documented PFAS and 1,4-dioxane from upstream discharges. A granular activated carbon system removes about 90% of PFAS. During 1,4-dioxane events the town has stopped pulling from the Haw and asked customers to cut non-essential water use. A restaurant, salon or other water-heavy business should know where to find TriRiver's notices so it can adjust if that happens again.

Can a new or expanding business count on a sewer connection?

Not always on its own schedule. Pittsboro imposed or extended water-related moratoriums 15 times in 20 years because of limited treatment capacity. A 2021 agreement among Sanford, Pittsboro, Chatham County and others plans an upgrade of Sanford's wastewater plant. Anyone planning a buildout, a new restaurant or an addition should ask TriRiver about connection availability before signing a lease or ordering fixtures.

Which office permits the plumbing work?

Chatham County Central Permitting and Inspections covers the Town of Pittsboro along with Siler City, Goldston and unincorporated Chatham, and it performs the plumbing inspections. The plumber doing the work usually pulls the permit. Pittsboro's housing is newer than most of the area, with a median build year of 2002, and the 7,100-acre Chatham Park development keeps adding buildings, so a lot of local commercial work involves newer systems: fixture repairs, water heater replacements, backflow devices and drain problems in buildings still under warranty.

A note on the older downtown

The historic district around the Chatham County Courthouse traffic circle is a different story from Chatham Park. Storefronts there can hide decades of remodeling behind the walls, and a plumber may need to open more than expected to trace a leak or replace a section of drain. Give the plumber access to every floor and the basement or crawl space on the first visit.