Answer Man: Confusing water letters regarding 'unknown service line material?' Montford bridge over I-240 losing concrete? Did AFD trucks interrupt protest?

Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies and the real answers:

Question: Two folks have recently asked me about the letters water customers are receiving now that state, “Your service line is of unknown service line material.” They’re confused about why the Water Department is sending these out now, if this means their water contains lead or other dangerous materials, and what they should do, if anything. From reading the letter, it looks like these are targeted at customers in older homes, but one woman I talked to lives in a brand new home (a replacement after Helene), although the pipes in the yard may be older. Seems like this could have been sent out to address old connections, etc., but it also seems to need clarification.

My answer: Residents probably would have been better served if the letter started off with, “RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!” I always like to instill a good panic.

Real answer: Asheville Water Resources Department spokesperson Clay Chandler said the letters are “part of an annual notice we’re required by our environmental regulators to send to customers who fit certain criteria.

“We were already scheduled to send these notices,” Chandler said via email. “It has nothing to do with Helene.”

Chandler said customers with “homes built after the lead ban could have received letters for a rebuild post-Helene, or if their home or business is in an older neighborhood where our inventory of utility-owned service lines is not totally complete.

“It’s important to note we have not found any lead service lines on either side, customer-owned or utility-owned,” Chandler said. “This is simply a way for us to build an inventory of service lines throughout the system, per the terms of the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule.”

Lead in drinking water can damage the brain, kidneys, and reproductive systems. Infants, young children, and pregnant women are at the greatest risk. 

Lead was banned in drinking water pipes in 1986, with the law going into effect in 1987, but some older homes may have feeder lines on their property that are lead or contain lead solder joints. The city has steadfastly maintained it has no lead in its piping system. 

Chandler acknowledged the wording of the letter is less than ideal.

“We apologize for the language of the letter being a bit confusing,” Chandler said. “The vast majority of it is regulatory language we are required to use by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. We actually tried to revise it to make it a little clearer, but NCDEQ ultimately wanted us to use its template.”

In part, the letter reads, “The City of Asheville Water Resources Department is working to identify service line materials throughout the water system and has determined that the water pipe (called a service line) that connects your single family home at (address) to the water main is made from unknown material.”

It continues: “Because your service line material is unknown, there is the potential that some or all of the service line could be made of lead or galvanized pipe that was previously connected to lead. People living in homes with a lead or galvanized pipe previously connected to a lead service line have an increased risk of exposure to lead from their drinking water.”

Chandler also passed along a Frequently Asked Questions page that is helpful, especially the first question: “Why am I receiving this letter?”

Answer: “Your home or business was built before North Carolina banned the use of lead in the plumbing code. The ban went into effect in March of 1987 in North Carolina. All home structures that have a water account built before 1988 received a notice unless it was determined that their service line material was non-lead.”

Here are a few more from the FAQ, but for more complete information, visit the city’s Lead Awareness website.

What is the city doing to determine service line material?

“The city is working with a vendor to perform statistical analysis and predictive modeling to help us determine the service line material. This will involve customer participation at specific homes as the statistical analysis requires us to pick random homes to inspect. We are also visiting homes that request an inspection and updating the inventory with the information found.”

Will the city replace the customer owned portion of the service line?

“No. The customer owned portion is the responsibility of the home or business owner. If the customer-owned portion is lead or galvanized requiring replacement, the city recommends contacting a certified plumber to perform the work, should they choose to replace the service line.”

Do I have to replace my service line?

“No. It is up to the customer to replace, but we ask that you notify us if you replace so we can update the inventory.”

How can I get my water tested for lead?

“Customers can pick up a free lead test kit at City Hall, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the Water Customer Service desk located on the first floor. Samples will need to be returned back to City Hall within seven days of collection.”

What if I tested my water during or after Helene and it was negative?

“Testing the water showed that the CIty of Asheville’s corrosion control treatment is working as it should. It doesn’t tell us the pipe material.”

Question: I question what the NCDOT says about the deterioration of the Montford Avenue bridge over I-240 and the increasing rubble pile in the breakdown lane. Quite some time ago I had seen a DOT crew looking at the bridge and that was all. Can you check on this?

My answer: I agree that the rubble pile theme has gone too far in Asheville, post-Helene or not.

Real answer: This bridge apparently is a bit of a magnet for large vehicles.

Justin Rice, bridge maintenance engineer with the NCDOT’s Asheville office, said the bridge’s concrete beams have been struck by vehicles over the maximum height allowed three times in the last year, including one on June 26. 

“Each time a bridge is hit we request a supplemental inspection to document the damages and to aid with the repair decisions,” Rice said via email. “Those inspections have already occurred on this bridge, and our Structures Management Unit in Raleigh is currently working on the repair plans. Repairs will take place soon after the repair plans are finalized.”

The DOT said the bridge is structurally sound.

The most recent repair work occurred in March 2023. The contractor “jacked the bridge, removed damaged concrete, repairing damaged steel and installing new concrete,” Rice said.

Question: During the middle of the Indivisible Asheville march in downtown Asheville on Labor Day, the Asheville Fire Department released four big Asheville Fire Department trucks and two smaller ones right in the middle of our march. We all dispersed and stood to the side, but we wondered, “Was this intentional? Were they doing this in solidarity with us, or as a protest? Or did they have a legitimate call to go out on that required that many trucks? I checked the next day online, and there were no fires in Asheville on Sept. 1. So I was hoping to find out if these engines were legit, or deliberately infringing on our rights?

My answer: I seriously doubt the Fire Department would intentionally infringe on anyone’s right to free speech. Now, the fire truck sirens absolutely infringe on your right to actually hear someone speaking right next to you, but that’s a different matter. Gotta have those sirens at a certain decibel level, you know.

Real answer: Asheville Fire Department spokesperson John Harbin researched this issue from the department’s side.

“To answer your question, I can confirm that Asheville Fire Department units responded to a fire alarm call at 120 Patton Avenue at approximately 11 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 1,” Harbin said via email. “Ladder 1, Squad 1, Engine 1, Engine 13, and Battalion 1 responded to the Downtown Inn in reference to a fire alarm activation.”

Harbin noted that fire crews respond to a variety of calls, and not just for fires.

Having worked downtown for a quarter century, I can tell you fire trucks are on the move all the time, including for a lot of fire alarm calls that do not turn out to be actual fires.

Harbin noted that from just noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday, the department responded to eight fire alarm calls.

“Fire calls obviously fluctuate, but looking at the last week of August and the first week of September, we averaged 40-plus calls a week,” Harbin said.

So, I’m going to say this was not any kind of intentional action to disrupt a protest. I think it’s safe to say that kind of activity would not go over well in our fair city.

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Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Got a question? Send it to John Boyle at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org or 828-337-0941. His Answer Man columns appear each Tuesday and Friday. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.