W Tue AM 8:00 Carriero/Hart

The Evolution of the City of
Asheville Water System
Presented by Leslie Carreiro and Bill Hart
First City of Asheville Water System
• Asheville Water System Prior to 1883
• Beaucatcher Reservoir -5 Million Gallon Capacity.
• Water Distribution – Water Provided through pipe made of wooden
logs.
• Watering Points – water supply to public from watering stations.
• City Wells – water also provided by city installed wells.
Water System Improvements 1883 - 1900
• Development of a filtration plant on the Swannanoa River.
• Waters from this plant were pumped to the improved concrete lined
Beucatcher Reservoir and then distributed to the public.
• In Howells, “Historical Account of Public Water Supplies”, Howells
references “a marked decrease in typhoid and other enteric diseases”
in Asheville after the introduction of filtered water.
*The early filtration plant on the Swannanoa river is abandoned in
1903, due to poor quality of water and public discontent.
Buncombe County, NC
Water System Improvements 1900 - 1909
• In 1900, Asheville began to seek a quality water source for the city,
and began purchasing land on the North Fork of the Swannanoa River.
The first purchases totaled approximately 10,000 acres.
• To provide a quality water source, the City of Asheville constructed a
small dam on the Right Fork of the Swannanoa River and laid a 16”
cast iron line that was connected to a 300,000 gallon steel storage
tank on Beaucatcher Mountain. This was completed by 1903.
Water System Improvements 1910 - 1921
• In 1910, drought and seasonal shortages of water necessitated the
construction of a small channel to bring water from Long Branch and
the Left Fork of the Swannanoa River to the existing Right Fork intake.
• Between 1912 – 1915, the city experienced periods of water
shortage. To augment the water supply, the city purchased property
on the headwaters of Bee Tree Creek. During a 5 year period work
was undertaken to clean the watershed, construct a small dam and
intake, and lay a new 16” water line to a new 5 million gallon storage
tank on Beaucatcher Mountain.
Water Distribution and Sewage Systems
• In the late 1920’s growth in Buncombe County necessitated the
expansion of water distribution systems and sewer systems.
• Availability of these services led to industrialization and greater
demand on the water system.
• Additional land was purchased and or condemned adjacent the
existing the North Fork watershed.
Water System Improvements 1922 - 1927
• In 1924, the City of Asheville begins construction on the Bee Tree
Dam. The dam is planned to impound the waters of Bee Tree Creek
and to provide the quality and reliability that was needed for public
water supply. Population at this time was 35,000.
• In 1925, Asheville suffered a severe drought that led to water
shortages. Because of ongoing drought and water shortages, the city
constructed a 2 million gallon per day, filtration plant on the grounds
of the Biltmore Estate in 1926. This plant was constructed in 52 days,
and provided water from the French Broad River until the Bee Tree
Reservoir was completed.
French Broad Filter Plant
• Raw water pump station and intake
• 1 mixing tank, 21,000 gallons
• 4 subsidence tanks, 85,000 gallons each
• 4 filters, 500,000 gallon/day capacity
• 1 clear water tank, 50,000 gallon capacity
• 1 wash tank, 45,000 gallons
• High Service pumping system and 26,000 feet of 12 inch pipeline to
connect to the city distribution system
Completion of Bee Tree Dam
• In 1927, the Bee Tree Dam was completed at a cost of $2.5 million
dollars.
• A new 24” water line was laid to the city and became part of the
500 mile long distribution system that included the city and county.
• The Bee Tree Reservoir provided a new storage capacity of 500
million gallons. This reservoir provided the city a combined capacity
of 10 million gallons per day.
Water System Improvements 1934 - 1939
• In 1934, the original 16” line from Bee Tree intake was re-used and
laid to a new intake on the Left Fork of the Swannanoa River. During
this same year, ammonia treatment was introduced at North Fork and
Bee Tree for the disinfection of water.
• In 1939, an 8” line was laid to an intake on Sugar Fork.
• Total available supply in a dry year at this time was 9.3 million gallons
per day.
Water System Improvements 1948 - 1955
• In 1948, the average demand had reached 10.4 million per day. The
estimated city population was 64,400, and the estimated county
population was 127,000.
• At this point the water system was at capacity and demand was
increasing rapidly. *Planning had been initiated in 1920, to develop
adequate water resources for the ever growing population and future
expected growth.
Water System Improvements 1948 - 1955
• In 1951, Construction began on the Burnett Dam and Reservoir.
• In 1955, the dam was completed and the reservoir filled.
• The resulting reservoir was completed at a cost of $2.5 million, had
5.7 billion gallons of water storage capacity, and increased water
security for the Asheville/Buncombe County area.
• Provided water to the distribution system through 2, 16 inch lines,
and a 24 inch line.
• Bee Tree and North Fork Water Treatment Plants treated their
respective waters without filtration.
Water System Improvements 1960 - 1967
• In 1960, the city began to plan for increased capacity from the North
Fork Water Treatment Plant by adding a 36 inch water line.
• In 1961, bonds were issued to fund this improvements.
• In 1963, construction on this 36” pipeline was completed. As a result
Bee Tree Water treatment Plant was retired. And converted to
recreational facility.
• In 1967, the city holds referendum and begins fluoridation.
Water System Improvements 1978 - 1992
• In 1976, Construction begins on the new North Fork WTP. Filtration is
added to the North Fork Water Treatment Plant. Four filters are
added giving the North Fork WTP a production capacity of 25 MGD.
• In 1985, the decision is made to discontinue use of the Bee Tree
Reservoir for recreation, and to resume water production. As a result,
the city builds a new plant complete with 2 filters for a production
capacity of 5 MGD.
• In 1992, plant upgrades at the North Fork WTP add 2 additional filters
and bring the production capacity to 31 MGD.
Water System Improvements 1990 - 2007
• Mid 1990s, the city begins to purchase land and plan for the
construction of a new treatment plant on the Mills River in
Henderson County.
• In 1999, the Mills River WTP is completed and begins treating water
from the Mills River.
• In 1999, Bee Tree WTP is once again retired to conduct renovations
on the existing spillway.
• In 2008, Bee Tree WTP is returned to service to provide extra capacity
in the city water system.
City of Asheville Water Department
The City of Asheville Water Resource Department is composed of 6
Divisions, that employee a workforce of 149 positions. The divisions are
as follows;
• Customer Service
• Meter Services
• Water Administration
• Water Engineering
• Water Maintenance
• Water Production
City of Asheville Water System
• Water Resource has 58,198 service connections within the City of
Asheville and Buncombe County.
• The City of Asheville water system is a class A system that is permitted
to serve a population of 124,300.
• The water system serves an area of 183 square miles, and has 1,681
miles of water line, 32 water storage tanks, 37 pumping stations and 3
water treatment facilities, with a capacity to produce and deliver, 43.5
million gallons of water per day.
Water Production Division
The 3 City of Asheville treatment facilities are;
• Mills River WTP
• North Fork WTP
• William DeBruhl WTP
Mills River WTP
• Mills River WTP is a conventional treatment facility that uses
ozination, sedimentation and filtration through Granular Activated
Carbon filters, to treat water from the Mills River.
• The Mills River watershed covers approximately 47,440 acres in
Henderson and Transylvania Counties.
• The majority of this watershed is located within the Pisgah National
Forest, and provides very high quality water for treatment.
Mills River WTP
Mills River WTP
Mills River WTP
Mills River WTP
North Fork and William DeBruhl WTP
• North Fork and William DeBruhl WTP use direct filtration to treat
water from pristine reservoirs, surrounded by 20,000 acres of limited
access watershed. William DeBruhl WTP draws water from the 500
million gallon capacity, Bee Tree Reservoir. North Fork WTP draws
water from the 5.75 billion gallon capacity, Burnett Reservoir.
North Fork WTP
North Fork WTP
North Fork WTP
Burnett Reservoir
Burnett Reservoir
Bee Tree WTP
Bee Tree WTP
William DeBruhl WTP
Bee Tree Reservoir
Bee Tree Reservoir