Stage 1 Water Shortage Advisory

Jul 14, 2023

Update: Water Shortage Advisory Lifted

August 29, 2023: The Stage 1 Water Shortage Advisory issued by the City of Hendersonville on Friday, August 25, 2023, has been lifted. The advisory consisted of voluntary conservation recommendations stemming from lower-than-normal water levels in the Mills River.

“The rain we’ve received has improved the water levels and we are canceling the water shortage advisory,” said City Manager John Connet. “We appreciate the conservation efforts taken by our customers over the past few days.”

Hendersonville Water & Sewer encourages customers to be mindful of their water usage and employ conservation efforts when possible, however, the official Water Shortage Advisory is no longer in effect. More information about water conservation can be found at https://www.hvlnc.gov/waterconservation

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August 24, 2023: The City of Hendersonville is encouraging water customers to limit non-essential water use due to lower-than-normal levels in the water supply. To ensure adequate water supply is available for essential use and public safety, the City Manager has declared a Stage 1 Water Shortage Advisory beginning at midnight, Friday, August 25, 2023, at 12:00 AM.

“The City of Hendersonville encourages all water customers to take conservation measures,” said City Manager John Connet. “At this time conservation measures are voluntary, but we encourage all water users to be mindful of usage during this advisory”. City Manager John Connet explained Hendersonville’s utility team and water treatment facility staff have been closely monitoring the water levels at Hendersonville's intakes. Dry conditions within the water supply resulting in lower-than-normal flow measurements on the Mills River, combined with little rain predicted in the forecast prompted the declaration of the Water Shortage Advisory in accordance with the City’s Water Shortage Response Plan.

Stage I Water Conservation Compliance consists of voluntary measures including, but not limited to:

“We are seeing localized light drought conditions, and even though there is no widespread drought, the water levels coming from the watershed are not at their regular levels,” said Utilities Director Adam Steurer. “Our water system and Water Treatment Facility are fully operational, but we are proactively asking our 80,000 water customers to work with us to conserve water.” Steurer notes that Hendersonville is blessed with pristine water sources, but no utility system is immune to periods of dry weather. He hopes the voluntary conservation measures taken by customers during the Stage 1 Advisory will prompt the community to think about their water use and establish good water conservation habits.

"Our Utility is currently constructing an additional water intake on the French Broad River,” said Utilities Director Adam Steurer. “This project will add a fourth water source and help the system to become more resistant to drought.” The French Broad River intake and pumping station is expected to be completed next summer. Hendersonville City Council and utility leaders have been working toward this $23.5 million dollar project for a number of years to enhance the resiliency of the utility system and lay the foundation for the future.

Other steps water customers can take in addition to the conservation measures listed above are identifying and repairing household water leaks to reduce wasted water and save money in the process. The City offers a service called AquaHawk Alerting for water customers. This free service offers information about water usage, allows customers to receive alerts when usage indicates a leak, and gives more control over household water expenses. Visit www.hvlnc.gov/aquahawk to sign up.

Hendersonville encourages water conservation measures involving landscaping and irrigation. The City’s Stormwater Division offers a rain barrel program where community members can purchase discounted rain barrels to capture rainwater for irrigation. Visit https://www.hendersonvillenc.gov/news/city-hendersonville-continues-rain-barrel-program for more information and how to order a rain barrel.

These voluntary conservation measures will remain in effect until either conditions and water levels improve, or a Stage 2 Water Shortage Alert is declared by the City which could require mandatory water use reduction if conditions and water levels do not improve.

Additional information about the Stage 1 Water Shortage Advisory and conservation tips can be found at www.hvlnc.gov/watershortage.