Asheville Water Maintenance crews are flushing lines of discolored water following the break of a 24-inch transmission line in east Asheville late Tuesday night.
The entire water system is not affected, but discolored water is showing up in pockets from the 200 block of Patton Avenue downtown, to portions of Hilliard Avenue, Amboy Road and as far out as Deaverview Road.
Discoloration sometimes occurs when sediment is stirred up in pipes following a rush of water through the pipes once a major repair has been completed. This water is not contaminated, though it may look distasteful and you may want to avoid drinking, cooking with it or washing clothes in it.
If you experience discolored water
We hope you don’t experience discolored water, but the possibility exists. Manganese sediment in pipes was responsible for discolored water during an emergency repair in the spring of 2019.
Once pressure returns, there is the possibility that some discolored water or air could be present in the waterlines. Customers are advised to run cold water for 5-10 minutes or until the water is clear. If your water does not clear within 30 minutes, please let us know by calling Customer Service at 828-251-1122.
Water Resources is flushing water through fire hydrants, so you may see hydrants open and running. Crews are responding to pockets of discolored water as reports come in.
Our night crew and call center have been advised that there may be a higher-than-normal call volume tonight. We are working to be as responsive as possible to all calls.
Again, please flush the water in your home or business for 30 minutes prior to calling to see if the lines will clear. Thank you.
What happened?
A 24-inch transmission waterline ruptured Tuesday night in east Asheville, resulting in low or no water pressure for some customers and a boil water advisory. Installation of a redundant water delivery system in 2019 helped to mitigate the effect of the waterline break and return service more quickly. Find more information at this link.
The City of Asheville maintains 1,800 miles of waterlines.