Asheville turns to ‘Plan B’ on restoring water

Plus: Record early voting despite Helene; FEMA unable to answer half of calls; Hendersonville apple orchard reopens; Woman reconnects people with lost photographs

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The North Fork Reservoir in Black Mountain has been at the center of efforts to restore drinking water to much of Asheville and other parts of Buncombe County. Sediment from September’s storm near the water intake has made the water murky. (Photo by city of Asheville)

Last week, water officials in Asheville estimated that clean water in Buncombe County could be at least two to three weeks away. Now, though, officials are pushing that estimate back — and taking an alternate approach to getting the system fixed.

Last week, the city installed filtration curtains to reduce the sediment in the North Fork Reservoir, which serves 160,000 people in Buncombe and Henderson counties, and has since completed two rounds of treatment on the reservoir water. The water now appears clear, but the area is under a boil water advisory. A “Plan B” project was introduced to the public yesterday, which consists of mobile treatment units that will be placed above the dam at the reservoir and run concurrently with the filtration curtains.   

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in the early stages of implementing an alternative treatment project that could possibly — and I want to stress possibly — be operational in very late November, very early December. That’s based on information the Corps of Engineers has given us,” said Clay Chandler, the Asheville Water Resources Department spokesperson, at a media briefing Monday. 

Once the water is potable again, Chandler said the water in tanks and transmission lines will need to be completely flushed out, which could take another two to three weeks. You can read more about what Chandler said at Monday’s briefing in this Asheville Watchdog article. 

But what’s been even more frustrating than the murky water is the murkiness of the timeline from the city’s water resources department. After yesterday’s briefing, I’ve heard from friends and family that people are generally upset that a “Plan B” is being considered now, more than a month after the storm, as opposed to weeks ago. They feel the city has been telling them overly optimistic goals to keep their frustrations at bay. 

In late October, an Asheville resident filed a lawsuit against the city of Asheville to force officials to provide records of how Asheville operated its dams before and while the storm hit, as well as information about its dam liability insurance policies. Those are ordinarily public records, but Asheville has said fulfilling records requests has been slowed by the response to the hurricane. 

It’s one of the likely many lawsuits to come out of Western North Carolina in the future. 

Here are the latest updates from the mountain region: 

• Progress on sewage treatment, but problems persist: 18 of 25 major wastewater treatment plants “are back to normal operations,” according to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. But in some areas where the plants aren’t fully back, untreated sewage is still being discharged into rivers — like the Pigeon River in Canton. State officials aren’t enforcing laws against discharging sewage as they work to restore service. (The Mountaineer)

• Record early voting turnout: Despite the devastation from Helene, Western North Carolina has seen record early voter turnout for the 2024 election. Over 53% of registered voters in Buncombe County and 58% in Yancey County have already voted. Temporary polling changes, such as pop-up voting sites, were implemented to facilitate access. (WLOS)

• FEMA calls at capacity: Recent data shows that FEMA call centers have been unable to answer nearly half of incoming calls, with some waits exceeding an hour. FEMA says it has limited capacity to address new disasters due to staffing shortages and ongoing recovery from multiple hurricanes. (Politico) 

• It’s apple time: Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard in Henderson County has reopened after a four-week closure due to road damage. The orchard, a popular U-pick destination, missed out on crucial income but suffered minimal tree damage. To recoup lost revenue, it has extended its season to mid-November. The farm is hosting a public event this Saturday with square dancing, apple cannons and hayrides to support the farm’s recovery. (WLOS)

• Looter charged with stealing $70K in historic rifles: In the days immediately following the hurricane, some folks took advantage of the downed power lines and cell towers and looted unsupervised stores. Asheville police recently charged Michael William Plummer, 55, with looting a business on Patton Avenue and stealing historic firearms and custom knives valued at $70,000. (WLOS)

• How cadaver dogs do it: A cadaver dog handler talks with N.C. Health News about the grim but essential service the dogs provide — and the challenges they face working in Western North Carolina.  

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Reconnecting people to items lost in the flood   

Hurricane Helene’s strong winds and record flooding scattered many people’s items all over town, seemingly lost forever. 

One woman has collected photographs she found among the debris near the Swannanoa River and created an Instagram page, Photos from Helene, to help reconnect families with their lost photos. 

photosfromhelene

A post shared by @photosfromhelene

So far, about 30 families have reclaimed images, including one family that recovered a rare photo of a lost child, the Raleigh News & Observer reported. 

People are also posting found items in a Facebook group called “I found your stuff ♡ - WNC” in hopes of reconnecting possessions — including stuffed animals, kayaks, Bibles and even a handmade walking cane — to their owners. It has more than 4,600 members.

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Lindsey Banks, a native of the Buncombe County town of Swannanoa, is a staff reporter with The Charlotte Ledger. Reach her at lindsey@cltledger.com.

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How to help

Many organizations have deployed groups across the region, tasked with distributing food, water and supplies. You can donate to their efforts at the links below.

• Hearts with Hands, a local disaster relief organization, has a donation page to provide food, supplies and water. 

• United Way of North Carolina has established a fund to help residents affected by the flooding.

• MANNA Foodbank, which serves 16 counties in Western North Carolina, is accepting food, supplies and monetary donations. The organization’s warehouse on Swannanoa River Road in Asheville was damaged by the hurricane. 

• The American Red Cross is accepting donations to help residents in the Southeast.

• Samaritan’s Purse, which is headquartered in Boone, is scheduling volunteers to help with debris cleanup.

• Operation Blessing has a donation page to provide food, supplies and water.

• E4E Relief, a Charlotte-headquartered provider of emergency financial relief programs on behalf of corporations, is accepting donations for their newly established Hurricane Helene Community Fund, offering financial support to individuals with long-term impacts from Hurricane Helene.

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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman