Asheville Struggles with Water Quality Issues Following Tropical Storm Helene

Asheville Faces Water Quality Challenges After Tropical Storm Helene

Asheville is working diligently to restore its water supply after experiencing significant challenges following the recent Tropical Storm Helene. While the city has successfully restored non-potable, heavily chlorinated water to about 95 percent of residents, the main water source, the North Fork Reservoir, remains troublingly murky. It has now been 26 days since the storm, and water quality issues continue to persist.

Storm Aftermath: A Brown Reservoir

At the latest daily storm briefing in Buncombe County, the city’s Water Resources Department spokesperson, Clay Chandler, painted a rather gloomy picture. Sharing a photo of the North Fork Reservoir, which still looked decidedly brown, Chandler expressed the city’s frustrations as they hoped for clearer water. Despite treatment efforts taken on the reservoir last week, the clarity hasn’t improved as expected. In fact, the surface water remains murky while readings from deeper layers show signs of improvement.

In-Depth Look at Water Quality

The city attempted to treat the reservoir with mineral treatments designed to make clay particles settle, but the hoped-for results did not materialize. Chandler noted, “And as you can see, the surface water has not cleared up very much at all, if any.” Interestingly, while the surface is still muddy, the water in the deeper layers, around 40 to 50 feet down, showed significant clarity improvements. This unexpected twist has left officials puzzled, especially since the reservoir is typically known for its “pristine” quality.

The turbidity of the water, which is a measure of how clear it is, is currently far from acceptable levels. For context, the EPA requires drinking water to have a turbidity level of less than 0.30 NTU, with North Fork normally providing water that is between 0.03 and 0.05 NTU. However, readings this week revealed turbidity levels hovering between 25 and 27 NTUs, and even spiking to 30 NTUs on Oct. 11.

Boil Water Notice and System Restoration

As a result of these challenges, Asheville is still under a system-wide boil water notice, meaning that while the water is safe for bathing and laundry, it must be boiled before consumption. Even then, city officials still recommend using bottled water for drinking. “We are certainly hopeful that the second round of treatment will sort of push the ball down the court as far as that reservoir clearing up,” added Chandler.

Future Steps and Ongoing Issues

To tackle the ongoing issues, the city has been proactive. They treated the reservoir with a combination of aluminum sulfate and caustic soda, which are regular treatment minerals used to help clear up the water. Aluminum sulfate helps clay particles settle, while caustic soda maintains optimum pH levels for effective treatment. The city is currently awaiting the installation of a “curtain” system meant to further assist in managing the turbidity by creating a 500-foot circle around the intake.

Remaining Challenges for Residents

Despite significant progress, some households still find themselves without water. In areas like Town Mountain and Webb Cove Road, around 65 to 70 homes are still grappling with the aftermath of landslides that washed out water lines. Chandler noted that work is being coordinated with the NCDOT to repair roads so that water services can be restored more comprehensively.

As Asheville continues navigating these water quality challenges, city officials remain optimistic about clearing up the North Fork Reservoir. The expectation is that with continued efforts and treatments, clearer water is on the horizon for the community.