Water service begins to return to Asheville

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) – Water service has begun to return to parts of Asheville, including downtown according to the City of Asheville.

Water service is returning to areas west of Swannanoa, including Haw Creek and parts of Fairview. Preparations are in place to begin sending water to north Asheville.

The water is being distributed by the North Fork water treatment plant in Black Mountain. The Water Resource Department said they should be able to send around 12 million gallons a day into the distribution system.

The city warned residents that the water is not safe to drink straight out of the tap, due to the water being highly chlorinated. Water intended for consumption should be boiled vigorously for at least one minute.

The city said their next goal is to reduce the “murkiness” caused by the excessive sediment. The process of in-reservoir treatment is to “increase the rate of the settling in the reservoir that will then allow us to begin treating that water through our water treatment plant.”

City officials added that clear, clean water has returned to streams. Laboratory staff will continue to focus on bacteriological testing to make sure water going into the distribution system is safe.

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