A major waterline break that occurred Tuesday night in east Asheville triggered a system-wide boil water advisory for all Asheville water customers that remains in effect today. Water has been restored following an outage.
Latest information:
The North Fork Bridge Transmission Line Bypass Project installed in 2019 allowed the City to quickly restore water to all customers in this situation.
Designed to better protect the Asheville Water System from widespread outages or a complete failure, that project included installation of 1,700 feet of 36-inch transmission waterline with tie-ins to existing 36-inch and 24 inch-transmission lines to the north and south of the bridge crossing of the Swannanoa River.
Find more details about that project here: Water transmission line tie-in project completed
- Water Resource reports that this 24-inch water transmission line break has been isolated and water pressure is normal. Water should be restored to all customers, though a boil water advisory remains in effect.
- The break was to a major water transmission line.
- The cause of this break is not known.
Alert issued overnight:
The following information was sent via AVL Alert and posted on the City’s website shortly before 1 a.m. today:
The City of Asheville (COA) Water Resources Department would like to report an emergency water interruption due to a waterline repair on/in East Asheville Pump Station. This interruption of water requires issuance of a Boil Water Advisory.
The City encourages customers to vigorously boil tap water for 1 minute before consuming it. City staff are performing laboratory testing and the advisory will be lifted when tests confirm the possibility of risk is not present. Customers will receive notification that the advisory has been lifted via the same communication process as this advisory.
When water systems experience low pressure or lose pressure, there is an increased risk of contamination. This does not mean that the water is contaminated, but that the possibility exists. Once pressure returns, there is the possibility that some discolored water or air could be present in the lines. Customers are advised to run cold water for 5-10 minutes or until water is clear. Properties in the affected areas are receiving this notification via the automated AVL Alert system. Residents may register for these alerts by clicking on the AVL Alert sign-up link.
For more information, please call 828-251-1122, or visit the Water Quality Advisories webpage at the top of the City of Asheville website.
We will provide updates as information becomes available. Please check back.