City of Asheville Helene Recovery Update Oct 24, 2024

Asheville -- October 24, 2024: City of Asheville Helene Recovery Update: The City of Asheville continues to provide Tropical Storm Helene recovery resource updates on a daily basis. 

Helene recovery water quality 

Water Resources lab staff continue to conduct daily testing at the source and throughout the distribution system for total coliform, E. Coli and chlorine.

To ensure the safety of customers, Water Resources, with guidance from the EPA and North Carolina DEQ, developed and implemented a water sampling plan specific to recovering from Helene. Most sample stations are taps going right into the water lines. There are 184 sampling stations throughout the distribution system. Under normal conditions, 8-10 stations per day are tested. However, since Helene, there are 35 stations per day on average. Water Resources’ in-house testing is slightly more accurate when the water is clear. As a result, samples are sent to a third-party lab, and the results have a turnaround time of 7-10 days.

More information regarding water quality testing post-helene can be found on the City’s Water Recovery webpage.

Some parking enforcement to resume October 24: City parking garages & meter spots remain free

Starting October 24, some parking enforcement activities will resume in the downtown area. Parking meters and garages will continue to remain free of charge until further notice. This enforcement will not include meter payment of meter time limits, but instead will focus on:

 

 

Loading zone time limits
Illegal parking related to public safety, such as parking in a crosswalk, too close to an intersection, or where parking is not permitted

Our goal is to continue to promote safety and accessibility for all users within the downtown by ensuring specific aspects of parking enforcement resume as soon as possible. Please do your part to ensure the safety of our downtown by following driving and parking regulations and being mindful of pedestrians. 

Updates on other topics remain unchanged and the public is encouraged to visit the City’s recovery resources page and news update page.