The Friday, Nov. 15, Buncombe County Helene recovery briefing covered a goal date for lifting the area’s boil water notice, a date when debris collection on private property will be available and more.
Also included were daily updates on food and water distribution and locations of Community Care Centers where showers, laundry and other essentials are available.
Briefings go live on the Buncombe County Facebook page at 11 a.m. on weekdays. You can also find recordings of past briefings on the page. Here’s what was covered in Friday’s briefing.
Asheville holiday parade canceled
City staff are focused on essential cleanup, infrastructure repair and support for impacted residents. Due to this, the traditional holiday parade will not be able to occur.
“We’re focusing on how we can safely and effectively bring holiday cheer to our community in a way that supports our ongoing storm recovery work,” City Manager Deborah Campbell said.
Instead of a full-scale parade, the city is introducing a “Holiday Jamboree,” a community gathering at Pack Square Park on Saturday Nov. 23 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. It aims to celebrate the community’s resilience and bring residents together.
When will Asheville’s boil water notice be lifted? Asheville water updates
Asheville Water Resources representative Clay Chandler said that results of a lead and copper sample from North Fork source water were negative for lead, though a trace amount of copper well below limits was detected.
Turbidity Nov. 15 was 15.5, a slight increase from Nov. 14, the first day in weeks on which turbidity did not fall.
More than 20 million gallons a day are being pushed through the system daily. Contractors for the USACE project continue to work 24 hours a day. The timeline for completion of the project remains the same: late November to early December. Debris removal continues at DeBruhl with the help of FEMA and other organizations.
Chandler added that the mechanism used to push raw water into the system will be taken offline beginning Friday night, Nov. 15, as the use of treated water combined with customer usage has provided data they feel is sufficient to reach the conclusion that the system has, for the most part, turned over, replacing the majority of raw water with treated water.
This also means that water officials can begin the sampling process to potentially lift the boil water notice. This process and plan was developed with the EPA and DEQ, and will begin tomorrow, Nov. 16. The total number of samples needed is 120; based on a daily rate of about 40 samples, this process should wrap up late on Monday, Nov. 18.
These bacterial samples have an incubation period of between 18-24 hours, meaning by the afternoon or evening on Tuesday, Nov. 19, Water Services will have an understanding of the health of the distribution system and whether it will be possible to lift the boil water notice.
Hazard Mitigation Program
Hazard Mitigation staff from NC Emergency Management will be available today, Friday Nov. 15, at the Asheville Mall to assist property owners at the Asheville Mall from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
This program helps protect against further damages and losses following a disaster with options such as buyback of houses at the value they were worth before the storm, elevating houses above the estimated level of a 100-year storm and more.
To begin applying online, visit ncdps.gov/our-organization/emergency-management/disaster-recovery/hazard-mitigation-grants-information-request
More: Buncombe County homeowners can apply for Helene help through 2 more programs
Private road and bridge repairs
Funding for repairs on private roads and bridges is available, even if the owner’s home is not damaged. Visit disasterassistance.gov, call 1-800-621-3362, or visit the Disaster Recovery Center open daily at the Asheville Mall from 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Small business recovery grants
For-profit businesses in Buncombe County and the city of Asheville are eligible to receive grants of up to $25,000 to support recovery expenses not covered by insurance or other funding sources.
Applications are open today through Nov. 27 and can be found at mountainbizworks.org/abgrants/ *disponible en español*
Community Care Stations
Community Care Stations are open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. with showers, laundry and more. All Community Care Stations now have ADA accessible showers and bathrooms. Laundry drop-off and pickup is available at the Swannanoa Ingles.
Locations of Community Care Stations are:
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At Home Store parking lot on Brevard Road
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Buncombe County Sports Park
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Morgan Hill Baptist Church
Where to get food and water in Buncombe County
Water and meals ready to eat are available at distribution sites daily at:
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Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center
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Buncombe County Sports Park
More: Lead found in water at 7 elementary schools in Asheville area: What we know
Private Property Debris Removal Program launch date
The Private Property Debris Removal Program will launch Tuesday, Nov. 19. There will be an online application option, in-person applications and a call center for debris related questions. More information will come early next week.
Why is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Asheville?
Corey Koger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gave a debris update and provided answers to some frequently asked questions. He described several of the USACE’s projects.
First, Koger explained right of way debris removal efforts. The right of way is the strip of land from the edge of your property, including utilities and sidewalk, about 10-15 feet from the edge of the street. This is where debris should be taken if you want assistance with right of way debris removal.
Different trucks are picking up different materials, as there are separate disposal sites. Do not place any debris in black plastic bags, as it slows the collection process. Due to these separate disposal sites, the USACE has requested that anyone placing debris in a right of way separates said debris into these categories on the curb:
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Household hazardous waste such as batteries, paints, lacquers, pesticides, etc.
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Construction and demolition debris
Koger added that, though they are mulching the vegetative debris, this mulch won’t be used due to potential hazards. The USACE is not responsible for clearing debris caused by landslides. Reach out to emergency management in your locality for landslide debris collection.
Next, Koger gave some further information on the Private Property Debris Removal program. As the right of way is being conducted from public or private streets, the USACE is not currently entering properties. Collection of Rights of Entry will be conducted by contractors for the city or county to allow contractors to scope properties through the PPDR. After this, debris removal can be conducted. Koger reminded the public that this is a long-term process that doesn’t happen overnight.
Finally, Koger explained that FEMA and USACE teams are currently conducting waterway assessments to determine what debris is eligible for collection. At the moment, this is mainly debris that could pose a threat to the public. Once eligible debris has been determined, they will scope, contract and begin to collect waterway debris.
Vehicles, vessels and title property are not being disposed of by the USACE. Instead, they will place it in the right of way for local municipalities to collect through official processes which cannot be completed through the corps.
Rental assistance programs
As of Oct. 22, Asheville City Council authorized the allocation of $1 million in existing city resources to support rental assistance. Since then, the city has engaged with Eblen Charities to administer rental assistance. City Manager Deborah Campbell explained that staff confirmed Eblen will provide equitable access to city residents seeking assistance, including undocumented individuals and households.
This means ensuring that documentation requirements do not exclude anyone who is undocumented or unable to meet typical requirements due to storm-related losses. In previous instances, Eblen has required a Social Security number due to funding source requirements. However, with the city’s funding, immigration status is not a limitation and should not be a barrier.
Like other service providers, Eblen has received a large surge in requests, affecting the turnaround for applicants. They have been working to hire additional employees, boosting staff by 42%.
Asheville debris collection
As of Nov. 13, over 81,732 cubic yards of storm debris have been collected in Asheville. Work is still focused on public right of way cleanup. Residents and businesses are encouraged to sort debris and move it to the curb.
Today, contractors will have 30 trucks running in zones:
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Buncombe Helene recovery: Asheville Holiday Parade canceled
