This is a developing story and will be updated.
Asheville residents could have drinkable water in their taps as early as Wednesday of next week.
Water Resources spokesperson Clay Chandler said the city is testing water samples this weekend, and if the results are acceptable, the boil water notice could be lifted as early as Tuesday evening.
The city has been flushing the system of untreated water for about a week, Chandler said. No raw, or untreated water, has been in the system since last Saturday, and crews will be disassembling the raw water pipeline today.
Before the boil water notice can be lifted, the city will take 120 samples of water from end points through the system to test for bacteria. If the results are clear, water resources will provide notice and instructions for customers to return to drinking tap water.
City water customers have been under a boil water notice since water returned to the pipes in mid-October. Hurricane Helene wrecked the city's water system, leaving residents without any water for several weeks.
About two weeks after the storm, non-potable water returned to the taps, but potable water remained a challenge. Local businesses and restaurants scrambled to reopen without ready access to drinking water.
This week, Water Resources also identified lead issues in some Asheville schools' water supplies. The issue is a result of pipes in the school system, and no lead was found in water samples from the source at North Fork reservoir which provides about 80% of the city's water.
