Town of Black Press Release: 11/18/2024
Black Mountain, NC – November 18, 2024.
Boil Water Notice Lifted for all Town of Black Mountain Water Customers
The Town of Black Mountain has lifted the Boil Water Notice for all water customers as of 2 p.m. today, November 18.
Water Resources lab staff finished sampling the distribution system early Sunday afternoon, November 17, and results have confirmed that the water supply is free from contaminants. Customers may resume normal usage of the water system. It is no longer necessary to use bottled water for consumption.
Normal usage for consumption (drinking and cooking), hygiene (bathing and handwashing) and dishwashing may resume. Appliances with filters, such as ice makers and water heaters that have been turned off, can be turned back on. Please refer to manufacturers’ instructions on restarting those appliances if they have been inactive for an extended period.
While an increase in demand is expected temporarily, the Town asks customers to temporarily avoid largevolume activities like filling bathtubs, watering landscaping, filling swimming pools and taking abnormally long showers.
Water distribution and services provided at County Community Care Stations will continue until further notice. These continue to operate daily 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Community Care Station locations closest to Black Mountain can be found at the following locations:
Owen Pool, 117 Stone Dr., Swannanoa
Swannanoa Ingles, 2319 US Hwy 70, Swannanoa
Additional guidance now that boil water notice is lifted:
Automatic ice makers: Dump existing ice and flush the water feed lines by making and discarding three batches of ice cubes. Wipe down the ice bin with a disinfectant. If your water feed line to the machine is longer than 20 feet, increase to five batches.
Hot water heaters, water coolers, in line filters, and other appliances with direct water connections or water tanks: Run enough water to completely replace at least one full volume of all lines and tanks. If your filters are near the end of their life, replace them.
Water softeners: Run through a regeneration cycle.
Reverse Osmosis (RO) units: Replace pre-filters, check owner's manual.
Replace Other Water Filters: Replace other water filters, as they are disposable and may be contaminated. This applies especially to carbon filters and others that are near the end of their life.
Clean Aerators: remove all aerators from faucets and soak in bleach.
Showers: Flush for five minutes with a mix of hot and cold water.
Toilets: Flush and clean each toilet.
Dishwashers: If your machine has a sanitize cycle, run one cycle.
Outdoor Spigots: Flush for five minutes but disconnect the hose first.
Refrigerator Water Dispenser: Flush for five minutes or at least one quart of water.
Lead exposure concerns -
The Town of Black Mountain is confident there is no detectable level of lead in its source water. Plumbing in structures built before 1988 have increased potential to be a source of lead exposure if water sits undisturbed in plumbing. For this reason, customers in structures built before 1988 are advised to flush their system for thirty (30) seconds to two (2) minutes before consumption on a daily basis. This also follows Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines on plumbing in structures built prior to 1988.
The lifting of the Boil Water Notice is an incredible milestone in storm recovery. It took an extraordinary effort to get to this day and the Town of Black Mountain thanks the community for being patient during this disruption in service. We also want to thank our Public Works Department, the City of Asheville Water Resources Department, and all of the state and federal partners who have assisted during this process.
Further information
Official Town information and resources can be found at: blackmountainrecovery.org, townofblackmountain.org, and on the Town’s official Facebook page at fb.com/townofblackmountain, To avoid any misinformation, please follow these sources and press releases for status updates.
For additional questions regarding water, contact the Town’s Water Department at 828-419-9313, or email recovery@tobm.org.
