ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Turbidity curtains have been installed at North Fork Reservoir, and in-reservoir treatment continued Thursday, city officials said.
The remnants of Hurricane Helene unleashed deadly landslides and flooding in the area last month, destroying roads, bridges and a big chunk of the Asheville water system.
Crews immediately began working to restore water to customers. Now, they’re dealing with the sediment that has made the usual pristine water undrinkable.
Though the overall turbidity of the reservoir remains high, levels continue to drop, city officials said in a news release Thursday. As of Wednesday, the turbidity level at North Fork was 21.2 NTU. To be safe for the normal treatment process, turbidity needs to fall somewhere 1.5-2 NTU, they said. The turbidity curtain and treatment operation is intended to speed up the drop in turbidity.
Work is expected to continue over the weekend as crews measure the effectiveness of the turbidity curtain operation.
Water service has been restored to 99 percent of customers, although a systemwide Boil Water Notice remains in effect. Details and answers to frequently asked questions can be found here.
Boards & commissions
All advisory and quasi-judicial boards staffed by city employees and all council committees will be suspended until Jan. 1, 2025, at the earliest. Exceptions will be granted on a case-by-case basis if a board or commission needs to meet to discuss time-sensitive or storm-related items.
Parking
Parking is free in all city garages and on-street parking spaces until further notice. Long-term parking users should park in city garages to help keep on-street parking available for short-term visitors. As a reminder, designated accessible parking spaces are for users with placards. The community is asked not to park in areas designated as loading zones. These simple gestures can greatly assist small businesses as they recover and work to help restore our local economy.