The water is flowing again in parts of Asheville’s water system, 19 days after Tropical Storm Helene destroyed main distribution lines from the North Fork Reservoir, but it is not potable and not likely to be anytime soon.
At the Monday daily briefing, Asheville Assistant City Manager Ben Woody said the water department is continuing to feed highly chlorinated water from North Fork, the city’s main water supply, directly into the distribution system.
“Our Water Resources Department is currently able to flow about 12 million gallons per day into the distribution system, and we’re using that right now to support flushing of the water system, as well as expansion of water into the distribution system,” Woody said. “Later this week, we hope to begin the process of an in-reservoir treatment that should increase the rate of settling in the reservoir, which will then allow us to begin treating that water through our water treatment plant.”
The 350-acre reservoir is fed by creeks that were overwhelmed by Helene’s heavy rains, depositing a high level of clay particles in the normally pristine lake. Woody said staff has now reported that clear water has returned to those feeder creeks, so that should further help reduce turbidity, or sedimentation.
The city provided a map that showed areas that are or soon will be receiving water. Areas closest to North Fork, generally those in the eastern part of Buncombe County, received water first. As of Monday, those areas likely to get water in the coming days are to the east of the French Broad River.
Water that began flowing from North Fork will reach areas of Asheville as shown by the arrows. // Credit: City of Asheville
“Water restoration will happen incrementally, steadily.” Asheville City Council member Sage Turner said in a Facebook post Monday afternoon. “Areas in the north, in Downtown, in Fairview, and in higher elevations in the south should start getting water today. We’ll fill the system east of the river, then move further west. This path is because of the different pressure zones.”
Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer said in a Monday afternoon update, “Water service is slowly being restored — downtown should see service today, and North Asheville tomorrow.”
On Sunday the city was able to start supplying water to areas west of Swannanoa after restoring water to Haw Creek junction, a major part of the distribution system.
“That was a big milestone for us,” Woody said. “Actually, the damage to the water system in Swannanoa was more severe than expected, which is almost hard to believe.’’
City water flowed into the Haw Creek and South Tunnel Road areas on Sunday, Woody added, and the city was preparing to begin sending water to Fairview and to some of the higher-elevation areas of South Asheville that don’t have water.
“We also have preparations in place to begin sending water to our downtown area and areas of North Asheville,” Woody said, noting that they also would begin turning on pump stations in these areas.
Asheville has a lot of elevation changes, making pump stations critical, especially for higher areas. The water system has 54 unique pressure zones, 1,800 miles of lines and 37 water storage tanks “that we need to fully pressurize the system. We need about 21 million gallons of water to fill those storage tanks,” Woody said.
Woody stressed that the “process of restoration is going to be slow and incremental,” and will move in a westerly direction.
Woody showed pictures and video of workers flushing the system via fire hydrants, with the water starting out murky and brown and then becoming clear. Boil water advisories remain in place, and the city is recommending that when water returns, residents should flush their own home water systems for 15 minutes by letting the water run at an outdoor spigot or through the bathtub.
Workers flush fire hydrants to remove sediments until the water runs clear as shown in the before photo, left, and after. Credit: City of Asheville
As it repressurizes the system, the city continues to find line breaks, ranging in size and location, including one six-inch main in the Haw Creek area, Woody said.
The sediment in the water is largely clay particles, and the city received approval from the Environmental Protection Agency before recommending customers can use it for showering. The water is treated with chlorine, but it is not potable.
The city has steadfastly declined to give a specific timeline for water restoration, and Woody said that will continue to be the case, outside of the information in the restoration map.
“I can’t give a timeline outside of the pink areas on the map, because those are the areas that we first have to pressurize and repair any breaks before we can move to the other side of the French Broad,” Woody said.
Woody said the reason the river is “loosely the boundary right now is because we have pressure zones on that side of the river that we’re able to manage.
“So we have to be able to get the air out of the distribution network and get water largely into some of those pipes before we can move across the river into kind of the western pressure zones,” Woody said. “But I hope to have more information on that on Wednesday.”
The city’s water system has 63,000 residential, business and contract customers, supplying water to about 155,000 people.
On the boil water notices, Woody explained the difference between a notice and an advisory.
“A boil water notice means that we can confirm the presence of bacteria in the water source,” Woody said. “A boil water advisory means we can’t necessarily confirm the presence, but we have enough information to think there may be the presence of bacteria. So that’s a regulatory distinction, but the end result, the actions you take, are the same.”
The city recommends boiling water vigorously for at least one minute before consumption, but Woody said they still suggest people use bottled water for drinking, brushing their teeth or other consumption uses. The returning tap water is safe for laundry, showering (do not swallow water while showering), handwashing, washing dishes and flushing toilets.
As the water supply returns, the city is also asking residents to report pipe leaks by calling 828-251-1122.
The city also offers these tips regarding water restoration:
What to do before water service returns:
Flip off the breaker to your water heater.
Turn off water to your water heater.
Turn off hot water under your sinks.
Remove aerator (it typically unscrews) on faucets.
Turn off the ice maker.
Turn off water to your whole house filter, if you have one.
What to do when your water service returns
Flush your home plumbing by running the bathtub’s cold water faucet.
Your water heater may be turned back on once your home’s plumbing has been flushed.
It’s safe to flush your toilet after completing steps 1 and 2.
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. John Boyle has been covering Asheville and surrounding communities since the 20th century. You can reach him at (828) 337-0941, or via email at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-03-31 15:21:00
(The Center Square) – Wildfires continued to burn Monday in the Carolinas, though a sign of optimism arose with a burning ban lifted in 41 South Carolina counties and measured rainfall in both states.
Largest of the fires is Table Rock in Pickens and Greenville counties of South Carolina. The Black Cove fire is burning in North Carolina’s Polk and Henderson counties, the Rattlesnake fire is burning Haywood County, and the Alarka 5 fire is in Swain County.
South Carolina’s Horry County at the Atlantic Ocean and North Carolina border, and the northwestern counties of Spartanburg, Greenville, Pickens and Oconee remain under a burning ban. In North Carolina, all 100 counties have a ban in effect.
The Table Rock fire size is about 13,191 acres in South Carolina and 574 in North Carolina, the Forestry Commission of the former said. Containment is about 30%.
The Persimmon Ridge fire is 2,078 acres in size with 64% containment. Rain Sunday into Monday measured nearly 1 inch.
The Covington Drive Fire in Myrtle Beach is about 85% contained and in mop-up and strengthened firebreaks stage.
In North Carolina, the Black Cove complex of fires are 7,672 acres in size. It includes the Black Cove (3,502 acres, 36% contained), Deep Woods (3,971 acres, 32% contained) and Fish Hook (199 acres, 100% contained) fires. Rainfall overnight into Monday helped the battle.
by Jane Winik Sartwell, Carolina Public Press March 31, 2025
Corn farmers on food stamps and taking second jobs. Equipment not being repaired. Debts going unpaid.
That’s the reality for many North Carolina corn growers this spring.
Last year was the worst season for the crop in state history, according to Ronnie Heiniger, a corn specialist at N.C. State. Drought wiped out acre after acre in eastern North Carolina last summer. Hurricane Helene devastated any crops left in the mountains.
Normally a $750 million dollar business, corn yielded only $250 million in 2024.
The economic cost to farmers — and their communities — couldn’t be more serious. And with a moderate drought stretching into the early days of this planting season, some are worried about more bad luck to come.
Corn is particularly sensitive to drought due to the crop’s very short window of pollination: This critical period of growth is just a few days long. In North Carolina, that vulnerable timeframe usually happens in June. If no rain falls during those days, corn will simply not continue to grow and yields will sharply decline.
“It was just about as bad as it could get (last season),” Heiniger recalled. “There’s no recovering from 60 days without rainfall. The mood among these farmers is very depressed. Some don’t know where to turn.”
But the N.C. House of Representatives is trying to help, hoping that the money allocated by the Corn Farmers Recovery Act, or HB 296, will be enough to keep the industry going.
The bill — which has yet to make it past the Appropriations Committee, the Rules Committee, the House and Senate — would transfer nearly $90 million from the State Emergency Response and Disaster Relief Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The money would go toward the creation of a 2024 Agricultural Disaster Corn Crop Loss Program, which corn farmers could apply to receive relief funds.
“To be honest, I don’t think most farmers thought the state was going to pay much attention to them,” Heiniger admitted. “This comes as a complete surprise.”
Corn farmers ‘at risk’
Corn is a summer staple on tables across North Carolina, but the crop also is necessary for feeding livestock and producing ethanol, which has a variety of uses. Sampson and Duplin counties, where pigs outnumber people 38 to 1, are home to the largest hog industries in the country. A shortage of feed could make that billion dollar business less profitable, too.
“I think a whole lot of farmers will be applying for this funding if it passes,” Zach Parker, an extension agent in Sampson County, told Carolina Public Press. “I don’t think devastation is understatement in the slightest. As for this summer, the only certainty is uncertainty. But I don’t think the corn industry is going anywhere. We have animals to feed.”
The bill would have the greatest economic impact in eastern North Carolina — the region with the largest, most valuable corn farms.
“In Wilson County, corn farmers have really been at risk,” said state Rep. Dante Pittman, a Democrat who serves Wilson and Nash counties and co-sponsored the Corn Farmers Recovery Act. “We saw an almost $4 million drop in income from corn in Wilson alone.
“The thing about this industry is that we don’t know what this year’s weather is going to bring. Anything we can do to prevent that loss from being devastating is necessary.”
Desperation down on the farm
With the cost of farming supplies high and crop commodity prices low, farmers are growing desperate.
“This bill will not only help farmers, but the farm communities that survive on selling fertilizer, chemicals, seeds, tractors and farm labor,” Heiniger explained. “It will help these rural communities where farmers are turning to food aid for their kids at school.”
The bill is geared toward those who grow corn, but since most farmers harvest a diverse set of crops, the money would in turn support production of soybeans, cotton, sweet potatoes and other North Carolina staples, according to Mike Yoder, an associate director of the College of Agriculture at N.C. State.
But some, like Rhonda Garrison, have concerns about the bill. Like, how will the relief funds be allocated? That’s something Garrison, director of the Corn Growers Association of North Carolina, wants to know.
“The bill is pretty ambiguous in terms of the formula for distributing the money,” Garrison contends. “I guess farmers will just have to apply for it and see what happens.”
But she doesn’t think the money will come too late to be useful.
“There were some farmers — overleveraged farmers who were already on the edge — that were done in completely by 2024,” Garrison said. “But not the majority. The potential money from this bill will likely go toward paying down debt.”
As planting season approaches, North Carolina corn farmers face difficult decisions about the future. There is a possibility the state will face some kind of natural disaster in 2025, whether it be hurricane, drought or continued fires.
“Us farmers rejoice in suffering because it produces character,” Heiniger said. “That’s what these farmers are trying to do: hold onto their character so they can get some hope and keep on going.”
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-03-28 12:56:00
(The Center Square) – Persistent dry and windy conditions, along with downed trees from Hurricane Helene six months ago, remain troublesome for wildfires in the Carolinas.
The Table Rock Fire, largest of several, has crossed from Pickens County in South Carolina to Transylvania County in North Carolina.
In an update from the South Carolina Forestry Commission on Thursday evening, the Tabe Rock fire grew significantly during the day and the Persimmon Ridge fire only modestly. The Table Rock fire is estimated 8,679 acres and the Persimmon Ridge fire 1,992 acres.
Three counties are home to four other significant size fires in the Tarheel State: Deep Woods and Black Cove in Polk County, Alarka in Swain County, and Rattlesnake Branch in Haywood County.
“Excessive storm debris and timber damage from Hurricane Helene has created many challenges for firefighting efforts,” a release from the North Carolina Forest Service said Friday morning. “One factor is the loss of tree canopy. More ground cover is receiving direct sunlight, accelerating the rate in which fuels dry out.”
The Black Cove fire that originated March 19 is 3,288 acres in size and 17% contained, the Forest Service says. It is approximately 2 miles northeast of Saluda in the Green River Gorge.
The Deep Woods fire, also a March 19 start, is 3,373 acres in size and 30% contained, the Forest Service says. It is about 5 miles northwest of Columbus in the Green River Gorge and the adjacent Holbert Cove community.
The Fish Hook fire that began March 20 is 199 acres in size and 95% contained, the Forest Service says. This fire is about 5 miles northwest of Mill Spring near Lake Adger.
Other fires of size are burning near Sylva and Leicester.
Burning bans are in effect throughout North and South Carolina.
