Woodfin Water Authority outlines $22 million capital plan, seeks state funds after storm damage

Seth Eckard, executive director of the Woodfin Water Sanitary District, told the Woodfin Town Council on July 15 that the utility serves “a population of just over 10,000” with about 4,000 residential and 150 commercial connections and has an operating budget of roughly $2.8 million.

Eckard described the district’s water sources and infrastructure: the utility owns about 2,000 acres of protected watershed, a reservoir with approximately 51 million gallons of storage and a water treatment plant built in 1995 that currently produces about 800,000 gallons per day. He said roughly 20% of the district’s supplied water is purchased from the city of Asheville to meet demand in parts of the service area.

Storm damage and recovery: Eckard said Hurricane Hilleen caused more than 27 leaks and…