Asheville lifts boil water notice

DRINK UP: Asheville lifts its boil water notice. Photo by Pat Moran

Fifty-three days after being issued, the City of Asheville has lifted its boil water notice.

At today’s morning press briefing, city spokesperson Clay Chandler reported that the city’s water department tested 120 samples over the weekend. Turbidity is under 15.

“Asheville water customers can safely consume tap water again,” Asheville City Council member Sage Turner posted on Instagram and Facebook. “All tests came back negative for bacteria, including E. coli and coliform.”

According to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, E. coli is a subgroup of fecal coliform. Fecal coliform — which can stem from animal or human waste, or sewage in drinking water — causes stomach aches, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal diseases.

For structures built before 1988, residents are reminded to flush cold water through their plumbing system each day to eliminate the risk of lead exposure.

“The water is officially safe again,” Turner stated in her online posts.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Pat Moran
As Mountain Xpress' City Reporter, I'm fascinated with how Asheville and its people work. Previously, I spent 25 years in Charlotte, working for local papers Creative Loafing Charlotte and Queen City Nerve. In that time I won three North Carolina Press Association Awards and an Emmy. Prior to that, I wrote and produced independent feature films in Orlando, Florida. Follow me @patmoran77

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.