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    • Helene destroys Asheville’s water system; “Potentially weeks” for repairs
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    Helene destroys Asheville’s water system; “Potentially weeks” for repairs

    Eira Gwyneth Posted on

    ASHEVILLE – As the death toll from Tropical Storm Helene continued to climb on Sept. 30 – now at 40 in Buncombe County – the first signs of relief began to appear, with the county able to set up four water distribution sites despite what appeared to be a return would start again soon. It could potentially take weeks to get water to the city as food aid is still on the way.

    The county began distributing bottled water at four locations across Buncombe County, including Sand Hills Elementary, William W. Estes Elementary School, North Windy Ridge Intermediate School and Fairview Elementary School, on Sept. 30 at 2 p.m started offering food. The locations will be open again on October 1st from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m

    The county’s locations came three days after Tropical Storm Helene hit the region. The delay in deliveries was due to federal aircraft not being able to fly due to strong winds following Tropical Storm Helene, Pinder said.

    While the county had suggested during the 10 a.m. briefing that the distribution centers would have food supplies in the early afternoon, none of them had food at the 4 p.m. briefing – and Pinder indicated they only had food at “some” of them would have distributed. Pinder said their goal is still to get food to the sites and called for volunteers to drive their box trucks up the mountain to deliver food.

    “If there’s anyone out there listening who has box trucks that can carry palletized water that can help us do that and also add those MREs, that would be extremely helpful,” Pinder said.

    Water shortages represent a public health crisis

    Mission Hospital also sustained extensive damage during the recovery period related to the storm. Over 900 visits to Mission Hospital were made related to the storm and over 200 of those visits resulted in hospitalization, said Greg Lowe, CEO of Mission Hospital. More than 80 of those patients are currently in the emergency room, he continued.

    The most pressing issue, however, is the growing water crisis, which poses both long and short-term health risks for Asheville residents. Without high-pressure water, hospital functions are “significantly challenged” because even simple tasks such as preparing hot food, using the toilet and showering are not possible, Lowe said.

    The road back to consistent water in the city of over 93,000 residents can be a long one.

    Assistant City Manager Ben Woody described the impact on the water department as “catastrophic,” with access to the William Debruhl Waterworks “very limited” as the main road to the waterworks was washed out. Three hydroelectric plants need “extensive repairs,” but there are already federal agencies on site “assisting us with repairs,” Woody said, noting that the city of Greensboro has sent water repair crews and equipment.

    The storm washed out 24-inch and 36-inch water mains and transmission lines at the North Fork Water Treatment Plant, Woody said. The city had installed redundancies on the site in 2004 after Hurricane Ivan flooded the area, but those also washed out, he said.

    A water treatment plant — the Mills River Water Treatment Plant — is functional but operating at reduced levels, Woody said.

    He reminded people that there is a boil water advisory, which means boil water vigorously for at least a minute before using it as drinking water.

    Residents are unsure whether they have enough water

    City Manager Debra Campbell addressed what she called the public’s “frustration” over delays between communications and supplies. She also said there will be no trash or recycling “for the foreseeable future.”

    While the county began distributing bottled water from FEMA on Monday, the city’s distribution site came from a private provider that Campbell described as an “emergency purchase” that cost “hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

    Residents are already flocking to the water supply systems to get drinking water. Some say they probably won’t have much for more than several days.

    Around 3 p.m., at Pack Square Park, where the city was distributing water, a line of 50 people gathered near City Hall while residents brought out gallon containers, jugs, coolers and large plastic water containers to replenish much-needed water in the area. Nearby, the owners of Mikasa Criolla in downtown Santiago Vargas and Ana Austin handed out cheesesteak and shrimp empanadas to the line.

    Oakley residents Kayla and Gavin Starzyk arrived at the distribution site with cereal containers and empty plastic containers to refill water. When asked if they had enough at home for the coming days, Kayla Starzyk replied, “Not really.” Both are limited to what they can carry on site, a maximum of two gallons, and no containers have been provided.

    Trips to area distribution locations could become more frequent in the coming days, as Woody noted that repairs could “potentially take weeks” to recover

    “I cannot provide an estimated time of arrival at this time,” Woody said.

    As for other resources, Kayla Starzyk said they had been looking for gas for some time, noting that even after waiting in line for hours, they were often turned away from gas stations that only accepted cash. Asked if they had enough gas, Gavin Starzyk said, “God, no.”

    More: Asheville residents are isolated from the world and search for food amid the Helene floods

    Will Hofmann is a growth and development reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Do you have a tip? Email him at [email protected]. Consider supporting this type of journalism with a subscription to Citizen Timit.

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    Eira Gwyneth
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