Hendersonville utility leaders say system 'ran out of water' after storm; service partially restored over 11 days

The Director said, "We basically sat and watched our water system run out of water," describing an initial day when an intake flooded and crews struggled to meet demand after a storm inundated parts of the system.

Utility staff told the meeting that a Mills River intake that provides roughly half the community's raw water was underwater and had to be shut off; the intake remained offline for about 30 hours, reducing production capacity. At the same time, officials reported five to six large water-main breaks, many underwater or inaccessible, which together forced managers to intentionally curtail service to exterior parts of the system — roughly 20,000 people — to preserve supply for more developed areas and critical facilities such as hospitals.

"Our SCADA system and remote access went away," a staff member said, describing how cell and internet service degraded during the event and prevented plant operators from pushing real-time instructions to crews. That loss of communications, officials said, made it difficult to redirect field crews midstream as conditions changed.

Staff emphasized that the treatment plant itself was not lost; personnel credited two finished-water reservoirs near Armstrong Avenue (referred to in the discussion as Evert Hills) and dams upstream with helping maintain plant operations while crews isolated breaks. An agency official described pump stations flooded up to eight feet and one 38-foot pump station completely full, noting severe inundation of pits and electrical equipment.

Outside assistance sped recovery, officials said. "It took us about 11 days to get that operational," the agency official said, referring to bypass pumping and temporary measures used to restore flow while permanent repairs were made. Utility leaders thanked mutual-aid crews from Wilmington/Cape Fear public utilities and contractors who supplied large generators and manpower to pump and repair flooded equipment.

To help customers, utility and GIS staff created an online web map showing neighborhood-level water status and whether water was safe to drink. Officials said that map reduced confusion and helped residents understand restoration pacing.

Leaders concluded with two clear takeaways: the need for backup communications that do not rely solely on cell or internet service, and a re-evaluation of infrastructure siting and elevation so critical pumps and electrical gear are less vulnerable to future floods. The discussion closed with praise for staff dedication and for prior investments that officials said aided recovery.