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he recent spate of water line breaks in Pamlico County turned out to be a make-work program, according to the Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office.

Judith Hardison in a “mug shot” provided by the Pamlico County jail.

On Tuesday, charges were filed against an Alliance construction company owner, Judith Hardison, and a New Bern man, Rodney Brame.

A press release from the Sheriff’s Office says that Hardison hired Brame to vandalize the lines so that her company, Triple H Construction, could make the repairs. Triple H was under contract with the County to fix water line breaks as they arose.

Brame and Hardison each face six felony counts of Damaging a Public Water System and one felony count of Obtaining Property By False Pretense. The charges stem from six water line breaks in recent months. The repairs set the county back almost $41,000.

According to the Sheriff’s office, “Brame would do damage to the pipes with the intention of the repairs being made on weekends, holidays or after hours so the charges would be at a higher rate than normal hours. This was done at the request of Hardison.”

As a result of this investigation, the Sheriff’s Office says it is also looking in to water line breaks in the past.

In the background, the Pamlico County Water System tower on Kershaw Road, an area where water lines were broken. In the foreground, warning signs near the water lines which tell concerned citizens where not to dig. They may have been useful in this case when someone was intentionally breaking the lines.

Judith Hardison was arrested Tuesday and as of late in the afternoon was still in detention at the Pamlico County Jail in Bayboro. Brame had not yet been arrested.

The water line breaks affected Pamlico County Water System customers along Kershaw Road, Kennels Beach among other places. Taps ran dry and because of the low pressure, customers were advised to boil their water before using it.

Residents in the Town of Oriental, which has its own water system, did not suffer a disruption in service. Those in Oriental-area 28571 zip code just outside the town limits (where one is on county water), were among those affected.

Posted Tuesday December 18, 2012 by Melinda Penkava