Asheville, Buncombe County, has been without water for weeks as mains are washed away

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) – Several thousand feet of water pipes leaving Asheville's main water source will need to be replaced before water can be restored to much of Buncombe County.

No one can access it at the North Fork Reservoir because large portions of the road are washed out and the Buncombe County water mains are exposed and missing.

On Tuesday, October 1, outside the Buncombe County Government Center, a sound that was missing from many homes could be heard – running water from large tankers. That means relief for a parched community struggling for resources.

“We need water for the dog and everyone in our neighborhood, so I thought I would exercise my strength and carry a few gallons back to my car,” said Laura Wise, who was filling a 5-gallon container.

For Wise and many others like him, it's becoming clear that sites like this could become the norm in the coming weeks.

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“We suffered catastrophic damage to our production systems and to our distribution systems,” Clay Chandler, public information officer for water resources for the city of Asheville, told News 13 in a Zoom interview on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

THE GOOD NEWS

“Repair work began Saturday morning, so we have been repairing for 72 hours,” Chandler said.

THE NOT SO GOOD NEWS

Pictures from the past of where News 13 might travel show why the repairs will take so long. Many of the 24-inch and 36-inch transmission lines have washed away.

There are large sections of water main that have been washed down the river and we haven’t even found them yet,” Chandler said.

This means new pipes need to be replaced.

What was found is severely damaged, worth several thousand feet. The City of Asheville Water Resources installed bypass lines as a backup after winter storm problems, but those lines also failed.

“Those fail-safe lines that were put in – Why weren’t they better protected?” News 13 asked about water resources.

WATER DISTRIBUTION POINTS: WHERE TO GET WATER ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS

“So that'll probably be a problem for post-production when it's all over,” Chandler replied.

The second issue Helene raised was the entire North Fork Reservoir.

“We can't treat it because it's too cloudy, it's too cloudy, it has kind of a chocolate milk appearance,” Chandler said.

It will take some time to settle in.

The North Fork plant, which supplies 70% of Buncombe County's water, is operational.

“Once we have a way to distribute the water, the plants can function,” Chandler said.

MILLS RIVER WATER TREATMENT PLANT

Repairs are currently expected at the Mills River Treatment Facility as it is the only water treatment facility with limited capacity.

“We have equipment scheduled to arrive on site today, which will increase capacity,” Chandler said.

BEE TREE WATER TREATMENT PLANT

Water crews gained access to its third facility, Bee Tree, on the night of Monday, October 1st.

“Aquatic staff did not have access to Bee Tree until last night,” Chandler said.

This facility remains offline and is currently being evaluated.

Helene's recovery details announced for counties throughout Western North Carolina

“Our best schedule, the best and most informed schedule, will now be weeks,” Chandler said.

This means that water distribution points will soon be as familiar as a kitchen sink.

Drinking water resources

There are extensive drinking water suppliesHERE.