Hurricane Helene: City of Asheville Water Updates

Update – November 18 at 1:30 p.m.

Boil Water Notice Lifted

The City of Asheville has lifted the Boil Water Notice for all water customers as of 11 a.m. today, November 18. 

Water Resources lab staff finished sampling the distribution system early Sunday afternoon, and results have confirmed that the water supply is free from contaminants. However, properties built before 1988 should follow precautions since they may have an increased potential to be a source of lead exposure if water sits undisturbed in plumbing. 

Water Services Recovery - The City of Asheville

Turbidity at North Fork Reservoir measured 14.5 as of its last reading. The private contractor for the Army Corps of Engineers continues constructing its water pre-treatment system as planned. Materials and equipment are arriving daily. Nothing has changed with the timeline for completion, which is late November/early December.

Customers may resume normal usage of the water system. It is no longer necessary to use bottled water for consumption, although water distribution and services provided at Community Care Stations at listed locations will continue until further notice.

While an increase in demand is expected, Water Resources is asking customers to temporarily avoid large-volume activities like filling bathtubs, watering landscaping, filling swimming pools and taking abnormally long showers. Otherwise, normal usage for consumption (drinking and cooking), hygiene (bathing and handwashing) and dishwashing may resume. Appliances with filters, such as icemakers and water heaters that have been turned off, can be turned back on. Please refer to manufacturer’s instructions on restarting those appliances if they have been inactive for an extended period.

Lead exposure concerns

The City of Asheville is confident there is no detectable level of lead in its source water. Plumbing in structures built before 1988 have increased potential to be a source of lead exposure if water sits undisturbed in plumbing. For this reason, customers in structures built before 1988 are advised to flush their system for 30 seconds to two minutes before consumption on a daily basis. The City of Asheville has received more than 2,000 requests from customers for kits to test their plumbing for the presence of lead. Participation in the City’s Lead Awareness Program usually receives about 5 requests for test kits per month. The data from this sampling will prove to be invaluable moving forward. 

The lifting of the Boil Water Notice is an incredible milestone in storm recovery. It took an extraordinary effort to get to this day and the City of Asheville thanks the community for being patient during this disruption in service. Whether it was temporarily turning off the water supply to water heaters, flushing pipes, or enduring multiple Boil Water Notice AVL Alerts, community participation made a difference in getting the water system back online. The Water Resources team was supported by a number of City departments, partners from other water utilities, FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers, without whom this would not have been possible. 

See updates from the City of Asheville on water service at the Buncombe County press briefing on November 18 on Youtube.

Below is the most accurate map of the division/areas of service of the water systems in Asheville. The William Debruhl Water Plant (located at Summerhaven on the map) and the North Fork (at the lake on the top right) both feed the same system. 

The City of Asheville is providing updates every few days on the water situation https://www.ashevillenc.gov/helene/water-services-recovery/. 

Addition Information: 

City of Asheville Projects Water Restoration Map (10/24/2024)

City of Asheville water treatment plants approximate map of service areas

City of Asheville water sampling plan specific to recovering from Helene

Boil water notice & water testing frequently asked questions

Public Water Supply Situation Report Tracking on Community Water Systems in the impacted: PWS SRTS PUBLIC View Dashboard (arcgis.com)