On Wednesday, businesses along Russ Avenue in Waynesville, Haywood County, will face water outages due to road construction. This disruption will lead to the temporary closure of several restaurants and stores, as they need water for operations, including sanitation and food preparation.
Food service spots must comply with health regulations, which require access to water for handwashing and restroom facilities. With the announcement of the outage coming just a day and a half in advance, many establishments are scrambling to adapt. Some have planned to operate using portable handwashing stations, but not everyone can set that up quickly.
Among those affected, Waffle House and McDonald’s plan to stay open, though the latter will have a limited menu, lacking fountain drinks and specialty coffees. Others, like Arby’s, will close for the day. Pizza Hut will offer carryout only, meeting some health code requirements but not all. Many restaurants, such as Chick-fil-A and KFC, were still deciding their plans as of Tuesday afternoon.
Health officials will monitor compliance during the outage. Sheila Flint, an environmental health specialist, emphasized the importance of having backup water sources and sanitation measures in place. This is not the first water outage due to construction in the area; many businesses are familiar with emergency protocols.
Public works crews had initially planned for only a small section to be impacted but discovered larger complications once they began. “When they started looking, they had to shut off more valves than planned,” explained Ricky Bourne, Waynesville’s public works director.
Shockingly, some larger establishments like Publix and Ingles have emergency water plans to manage situations like this, enabling them to stay open during past incidents. These plans include portable toilets and other sanitation measures, which they deploy when necessary.
This situation highlights the challenges local businesses face during unexpected disruptions. As water service is crucial for their operations, they will be looking to adapt and ensure compliance with health regulations while serving their customers.
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