Cheers to clear water!

Today the Town of Black Mountain lifted its Boil Water Notice, which was first issued in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The City of Asheville also lifted their Boil Water Notice today. This means Black Mountain water can be used for direct consumption (drinking and cooking), hygiene (bathing and handwashing), dishwashing, flushing toilets, etc.

In the simplest terms, a lifted Boil Water Notice means laboratory test results show the town’s water supply is free from contaminants. Additionally, there is no detectable level of lead in our source water.

The process of getting to this point was anything but simple. Work to repair or replace broken pipes began almost immediately after Helene ripped through our valley in late September 2024. Once repairs were made and water was flowing again, local and regional water experts installed filtration systems in partnership with the Army Corp of Engineers. During this time, residents and businesses had to boil water before drinking it. We also relied on outside sources of water for drinking and cooking, including bottled water, commercial water cubes, and even tanker trucks filled with water!

In combination with careful incremental testing, the filtration process worked its scientific magic, so as of today, tap water usage can resume. Keep in mind that it might take a little extra time for some of our restaurants and bars, especially breweries and distilleries, to transition back into completely normal operations.

Lifting water usage restrictions is a major milestone for our Western North Carolina communities as we continue to recover from the destruction of Helene. Please help us celebrate by raising a glass of water (or locally brewed beer or distilled spirits) to everyone who contributed to this mammoth recovery project, especially our incredible Black Mountain Public Works team!

Source: blackmountainrecovery.org