ASHEVILLE, N.C. — During a community briefing Monday, Asheville Water Resources Department spokesperson Clay Chandler announced that the boil water advisory has been lifted.
The advisory had been in effect for over seven weeks since Hurricane Helene swept across western North Carolina in late September, destroying homes and businesses and killing over 100 people across the state.
"Our crews conducted sampling of the water at the test sites over the weekend, and all of the testing was completed Sunday," Chandler said. "The tests were all clear of E. coli and coliform, so therefore, we are lifting the boil water advisory as of today."
Chandler said the raw water that was in Asheville's pipes was replaced by treated water thanks to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' filtration system. Now, after filtration, the water going through the pipes has returned to the levels of turbidity — referring to the cloudiness of a fluid — that is had before the storm hit the area.
Several areas across western North Carolina are still recovering from the effects of the storm, but many places are open to visitors — something many of the communities need to stimulate their economies.
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