More than 100,000 residents in western North Carolina can now use their tap water without boiling it, nearly two months after Hurricane Helene caused a major water crisis.
The city of Asheville announced on Monday that its water system is fully operational, with all tests confirming the water is safe to drink.
Clay Chandler, a spokesman for the city’s Water Resources Department, stated in a briefing that the boil-water advisory had officially been lifted after extensive testing.
The devastation began in late September when Hurricane Helene tore through the region, bringing catastrophic flooding that severely damaged Asheville’s water infrastructure. The storm, one of the deadliest in recent history, killed more than 200 people across multiple states and hit western North Carolina particularly hard.
“Asheville’s water system was completely overwhelmed,” Chandler said, explaining that the damage to reservoirs and pipelines required a monumental recovery effort. Repairs were initially projected to take weeks, and the city was able to restore running water to most users by late October. However, the boil-water notice remained in place as sediment was cleared from reservoirs and safety tests were conducted.
“All told, more than 1,000 samples have been taken throughout the distribution system in the last couple of weeks,” Chandler added. “It literally took an army of people to pull that off.”
The crisis highlights growing concerns about the state of America’s aging water infrastructure, particularly as extreme weather events become more common.
David Dyjack, executive director of the National Environmental Health Association, noted that Asheville’s challenges are a microcosm of broader issues facing the nation.
“We are in the midst of an uncertain time, not just in Asheville, but as we think about climate change writ large and some of these major unexpected storms,” Dyjack said in an interview last month.
The restoration of clean water marks a significant relief for Asheville’s residents, who endured weeks of uncertainty. However, experts caution that the city’s ordeal may serve as a warning for other communities across the United States.
As climate change continues to intensify storms and strain infrastructure, similar water crises could become increasingly common.
For the residents of Asheville, the return of clean water is a moment of triumph in the face of tragedy, but also a sobering reminder of the challenges posed by a changing climate and aging infrastructure.