French Broad River influences, water system

The Buncombe County Helene recovery briefing on Thursday, October 31, included a water system update, upcoming voting deadlines, FEMA aid recommendations and more.

It also included daily updates on food and water distribution and the location of Community Care Centers with showers, laundry and other basic needs.

briefings go live every day Buncombe County Facebook page at 11:00. You can also find recordings of past briefings on the page. Here’s what was discussed in Thursday’s briefing.

How did Helene influence the French Broad River?

The responsibility of cleaning and protecting the French Broad River has become much more difficult and even more important post-Helene, said Hartwell Carson, MountainTrue’s French Broad River Keeper. The group is working to assess Helene’s impact on the river, including examining levels of litter, pollutants and sediment in the waterways.

Carson said they received about a dozen e-mails. coli samples from the entire French Broad basin. The results were “better than expected,” considering the broken sewer lines and damaged wastewater treatment plants.

“They’re definitely not at levels where you want to go swimming, but they’re not as bad as I feared,” Carson said.

The agency also tested for approximately 135 chemical contaminants. Although only one result has been obtained from the Marshall region so far, this result was also better than expected; Only two pollutants were detected, and only one of them was proven to be harmful to human health (petrochemicals). Carson added that the levels of petrochemicals found were not “particularly troubling” to human health.

Well sampling in Buncombe County and surrounding areas is being performed by MountainTrue to determine how many wells are contaminated. Those samples showed a failure rate of about 30% for wells, which is better than what the state has seen overall, Carson said.

Finally, Carson shared that river cleanups are conducted once a week in accessible, safe locations; one of which was underway along the greenway in Asheville as of Oct. 31. Although Carson said this may seem like “a drop in the bucket,” he said the process is important. Teams are first focusing on key economic areas, such as areas on the river where outfitters hope to reopen in the spring and summer.

follow mountaintrue.org or on MountainTrue social media accounts for information on cleaning, water testing results and more.

Water system updates

Asheville Department of Water Resources representative Clay Chandler provided an update on the water system. Chandler explained that he was not there on his usual Wednesday, Oct. 30, because he was visiting North Fork to observe the treatment process, which began Wednesday morning.

The final fixing of the bulkheads at the reservoir was completed on Wednesday afternoon. Water utilities will complete the second round of treatment, including areas within the bulkhead, today, Oct. 31.

Chandler added that the weather conditions were perfect for the treatment and offered some positive information about the quality of the water in the reservoir.

“Even though it was overcast, you could still see the reflections of the mountains in the water,” Chandler said. “That’s a very, very good sign. It’s a sign that the water is starting to clear.”

Turbidity levels dropped from 21.9 to 21.2 by the end of the day on Tuesday, October 29. Water utilities are hopeful the treatment process will accelerate the reduction of turbidity. Levels will be measured over the weekend. Chandler said the department will have a better idea on Monday, Nov. 4, about how much the curtains and second round of treatment will speed things up.

Fifty Hearts Thanksgiving dinner distribution

Hearts with Hands will host a Thanksgiving meal and supply distribution on Nov. 27 from noon to 4 p.m. The event will be held drive-thru at Hearts with Hands Warehouse at Exit 55 at 850 Warren Wilson Road in Swannanoa.

sign up heartwithhands.org or call 828-667-1912 by noon on Monday, November 25. Each registered family member will receive a complimentary meal consisting of turkey, appetizers, desserts and beverages. A variety of essential products will also be provided, including cleaning products, hygiene kits, paper products, non-perishable food containers, baby and pet supplies and more.

FEMA assistance information

If you apply for FEMA assistance, you should receive a letter within 10 days explaining the agency’s decision, County Manager Avril Pinder said. Read your letter carefully and stay in touch as more information may be needed for approval.

If you are approved, you may receive funds via direct deposit or U.S. Treasury check, based on your preference in the application. The first payment you receive may be for basic needs such as food and water. You may also receive funds to hire a contractor to provide an estimate for home repairs.

If your situation changes, you may be eligible for more disaster assistance. If you are not approved, FEMA may need additional information and this information will be disclosed in your decision letter, so read the letter carefully. The fastest way to submit additional information is to upload it to your account at: disasterassistance.gov. Repair estimates, invoices, etc. You can appeal any FEMA decision or award amount by submitting documentation that shows you need further assistance, such as:

Community Care Centers are now ADA accessible

Community Care Centers are open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with showers, laundry facilities and more. All Community Care Centers now have ADA accessible showers and bathrooms. Laundry drop off and pick up service is available at Swannanoa Ingles. Locations are:

A.C. Reynolds High School
In the Home Store parking lot
Big Lots/Innsbrook shopping center
Buncombe County Sports Park
Bethel United Methodist
Swannanoa English
Owen Pool
Morgan Hill Baptist Church

Free vaccinations in Buncombe County

Buncombe County registered nurses and the Mobile Team offer free Tdap, COVID, Flu and Hep A vaccines at Community Care facilities including:

Swannanoa Ingles: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 12-18:00 and Tuesdays and Thursdays 09:00-13:00
Buncombe County Sports Park: Wednesdays and Fridays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Large Parties: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 12:00 and 18:00

Buncombe County food and water distribution facilities

Water and ready-to-eat meals are available at distribution points open daily:

Sky Lanes Bowling Alley
Black Mountain English
Swannanoa English
Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center
Pack Square Park
Buncombe County Sports Park
Fairview Ingles Markets

A Buncombe Call Center

The One Buncombe Call Center is available to answer any questions regarding Helene at 828-250-6100. The call center is open every day between 09.00 and 17.00.

Mobile Disaster Recovery Center is closing

The mobile Disaster Recovery Center at Buncombe County Sports Parks will close today, October 31, at 5 p.m. A new location will be announced soon. The Disaster Recovery Center at Cane Creek Pool remains open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Free cleaning products, basic necessities

YWCA, 185 S. French Broad Ave., Thursdays and Tuesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. It distributes cleaning products, food and basic needs for babies at.

Red Cross blood donation

Support your community by contributing to the Red Cross blood drive today, October 31, at the Pack Memorial Library in downtown Asheville through 3:30 p.m. You’ll also receive a treat bag and a limited edition Red Cross Halloween t-shirt. It helps restore critically low blood flow in the Buncombe area.

Voting in Buncombe County

With less than a week until Election Day, more than 94,000 voters have turned out to vote, Buncombe County Elections Director Corinne Duncan said. In Buncombe, those numbers mean nearly half of the county’s registered voters have already voted.

The period to request an absentee ballot has ended. In order for your vote to be counted, the Election Services Office at 59 Woodfin Place must receive your ballot by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, November 5. Mail your ballot or drop it off in person at the office or any early voting location.

There are three days left to vote early, and early voting sites will close at 3pm on Saturday, November 2nd. Be prepared to bring your photo ID or fill out an exception form. If you do not have a photo ID, you can get one for free by stopping by the Election Services Office. You can also Register Same Day during early voting. Bring ID and proof of residence.

The county’s 10 early voting locations include:

Black Mountain Library
East Asheville Library
Enka-Candler Library
Fairview Library
South Buncombe Library
West Asheville Library
UNCA Health and Counseling Center (new location)
Weaverville Community Center
Dr. Wesley Grant South Side Center
Leicester Community Center

In the post-Helen era, 17 of the 80 Election Day polling places have changed. Notification cards were sent to everyone affected. The changes are also listed on the website at: buncombecounty.org/vote. Election Day voting is between 06:30-19:30

Iris Seaton is a trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected].