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Two wells offline after pesticide detections; town buying more Asheville water and could save roughly $200,000 if wells restored
Summary
Councilors heard that two local wells have pesticide/herbicide detections measured below state limits but have remained offline since tests in August 2023; restoring them could lower annual purchases from Asheville by roughly $200,000 and reduce wholesale costs, but repairs and re-testing are required before reconnection.
Town staff described water-quality testing and repair needs for two wells that have been offline, and estimated the loss of local production has pushed the town to purchase substantially more wholesale water from Asheville.
Lab results cited at the hearing showed detected analytes (examples given in staff commentary): one analyte at 0.002 against a state limit of 0.2, and another at 0.003 against a state limit of 0.07. The test dates discussed were from August 2023. Staff said those wells previously produced about 60% of the town's water but have fallen to roughly 40% production while the wells are offline.
Councilors and staff estimated that the reduced production has required purchases from Asheville that could amount to nearly $200,000 a year; restoring the wells could also avoid an estimated additional $60,000 in wholesale mark-up that Asheville would charge, increasing the potential annual savings. But staff cautioned that some repairs (including replacing a busted well case and other mechanical work) and re-testing will be required, and public messaging about water safety would need care.
Councilors asked staff to retest the wells promptly and to provide documentation of the analytical results and any DEQ interpretations. One councilor cautioned that publishing test results could alarm residents, while another stressed the results were below state thresholds and the town should be transparent about retesting.
No regulatory orders or immediate restrictions were announced at the hearing; staff said they would pursue updated testing and report back with repair-cost estimates and a timetable to bring the wells back online.
