ASHEVILLE NC – December 4, 2024 – Fifty-two days after Hurricane Helene ravaged western North Carolina, the City of Asheville restored drinkable water from the tap. Asheville was without any running water between 5-11 days and then ran hyper-chlorinated non-potable water for 19 days to achieve adequate disinfection so we could take showers and wash our hands. Therefore, no anti-corrosives were run through the water distribution system for about 30 days. A similar scenario happened in Flint Michigan over a much longer period between 2014-15. This became known as the Flint Water Crisis because of the resultant damage to the water distribution system, the presence of lead in the water, and the health problems that occurred after children and adults drank the tainted water. There is no safe level of lead in drinking water according to Dr. Sally Wasileski, chair and professor of the University of North Carolina Asheville Chemistry Department. People need to know if their water at home is safe to drink and to prepare food. Parents need to know if the water at school is safe for their children, as do staff. The public needs to know whether lead has been found in the water of restaurants that they frequent.
It is unclear how much damage Asheville’s water system sustained. However, it was reported on November 14th that seven schools in Buncombe County were found to have elevated lead water levels on October 17th and 24th. The tests were performed during the boil water advisory period. Drinking water with lead in it poses significant health risks to children under the ages of 6, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers. Lead is a powerful neurotoxin that can permanently cause brain damage in children. Adults with lead poisoning can develop high blood pressure and heart disease.
Metals like copper and lead were commonly used in the Asheville water distribution system prior to 1988 (estimated as 60% of Asheville’s homes). Corrosion of metal pipes, plumbing fixtures and solder joints is prevented through the formation of a passivating layer inside the distribution system by the addition of anti-corrosives to treated water before introducing it into the system. This protective layer prevents direct contact between the water and the metal in the system and prevents corrosion products from forming and polluting the water supply.
The lack of corrosion control and hyper-acidification of the water (which occurred from the high levels of chlorine) damaged the thin passivating layer. The water could contact the metal in the system. Corrosion products formed and leached into the water. Once corrosion control was restored, the timeline for the reparation for the protective layer is “highly variable” according to Dr. Wasileski and can take a minimum of 30 days (according to Asheville Water Department) and sometimes years to reform according to the EPA. This may depend upon the length of time without corrosion control and hyper acidification of the water.
The city of Asheville was on a ‘boil water advisory’ until the return of drinkable water. According to the City of Asheville October 14th press release, “Any water intended for consumption (drinking, cooking, brushing teeth) should be boiled for at least one minute beforehand.” However, boiling water does not remove lead. Therefore, boiled water may not be fit to drink and a ‘bottle water advisory‘ for drinkable water and for food preparation would have been more accurate messaging.
The daily information sheet of November 24th states: “For this reason, customers in structures built before 1988 are advised to flush their system for 30 seconds to two minutes before consumption daily. If you have concerns regarding exposure to lead and are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have children under 6 please contact your healthcare provider.” “Residents, particularly those in homes built before 1988, are strongly encouraged to participate in Asheville’s free lead and copper testing program. To request a testing kit, or for more information on protecting against lead exposure, contact Water Resources at 828-259-5962 or email leadprevention@ashevillenc.gov.”
These common-sense measures should take place:
- Every faucet at every building built before 1988 should be tagged with a notice of warning and flushing instructions until testing for lead and copper in the water are performed. (At this time, five thousand Ashevillians have obtained test kits since lead was identified in Asheville’s water.)
- The test results must be expedited because the present 4-6 weeks’ time lag is too long.
- Schools and restaurants should be listed on a public website that indicates the safety of the water for drinking and food preparation.
- All affected pipes need to be replaced.
Listen to the full report below:
Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, healthyasheville@ashevillefm.org