Water is proving to be one of the biggest issues in Asheville as the city continues to clean up from Hurricane Helene. The city’s 100,000 plus residents remain under a boil water advisory since the county’s main water source, the North Fork Dam, incurred serious damage.
The dam sits in the mountains about 30 minutes northeast of Asheville. The storm washed out thousands of feet of water main lines that provide water to 70% of Buncombe County. While many of the lines have been replaced in the weeks since the storm, the dam still has tons of sediment in it that makes the water unsafe for consumption.
It has left people hiking miles to creeks to bathe. Some have resorted to using their yards as waste sites since toilets can't be flushed.
As of Wednesday, the county says it has restored running water to 99% of residents, but it is not sure how long it might be before potable water returns to faucets.
“Just sitting on my couch listening to the dishwasher sounds; I’ve never loved the sound of my dishwasher so much,” said Juliana Walker.
Walker had running water restored to her apartment in Northwest Asheville on Monday. It saved her the trip to her complex’s pool to fill the buckets she’s been using to flush her toilet and wash her dishes.
She says the only way she was able to bathe was by using wet wipes.
“It was so demoralizing and just wow — how is this my reality in 2024 in the United States of America?”
It’s led Buncombe County’s 269,000 residents to daily radio briefings with county officials to hear the latest updates on that status of their faucets.
There are still nearly two dozen water pick up sites around the county for residents to access consumable water as the county tests its water system for the presence of aluminum, E. Coli, and iron.
“The little stress ball that’s been living inside of me for three weeks- it’s getting smaller by the day, but yesterday when the water came on, it shrunk so much more,” said Walker.
Dozens of businesses remain closed due to the water issue as well.
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