Running water returns to some areas of Asheville; some western NC students back in school

One of the two companies that manufacture high-purity quartz used for making semiconductors and other high-tech products from mines in a western North Carolina community severely damaged by Hurricane Helene is operating again.

Sibelco announced on Thursday that production has restarted at its mining and processing operations in Spruce Pine, located 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Asheville. Production and shipments are progressively ramping up to full capacity, the company said in a news release.

"While the road to full recovery for our communities will be long, restarting our operations and resuming shipments to customers are important contributors to rebuilding the local economy," Sibelco CEO Hilmar Rode said.

Sibelco and The Quartz Corp. shut down operations ahead of the arrival of Helene, which devastated Spruce Pine and surrounding Mitchell County. Following the storm, both companies said that all of their employees were accounted for and safe.

The Quartz Corp. had said last week that it was too early to know when it would resume operations, adding it would depend on the rebuilding of local infrastructure.

Spruce Pine quartz is used around the world to manufacture the equipment needed to make silicon chips. An estimated 70% to 90% of the crucibles used worldwide in which polysilicon used for the chips is melted down are made from Spruce Pine quartz, according to Vince Beiser, the author of "The World in a Grain."

The high-tech quartz is also used in manufacturing solar panels and fiber-optic cables.

A Spruce Pine council member said recently that an estimated three-quarters of the town has a direct connection to the mines, whether through a job, a job that relies on the mines or a family member who works at the facilities.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) urged western North Carolina residents who have wells to continue to use bottled, boiled or treated water until private wells can be disinfected and tested for dangerous bacteria following Hurricane Helene.

Similar safety measures and cautions are needed for septic systems, NCDHHS said.

The agency said at least 300,000 people in or near flood-affected areas rely on private wells, and the number on septic systems is estimated to be slightly higher.

Residents who lost access to water or septic through a private well or damaged septic system as a result of Helene may be eligible for FEMA assistance. Visit disasterassistance.gov or call (800) 621-3362 to apply for FEMA disaster assistance.

Excessive rain and flooding can cause water in private wells to become contaminated

After a flood, private wells must be assessed for damage, disinfected and tested. Potentially contaminated water should not be used for drinking, washing and preparing food, making ice, preparing baby formula, washing dishes, brushing teeth or washing hands.

Tips for assessing your well:

• Wait to turn on electricity. Do not turn on the electricity to your pump until flood waters recede.

• Check your well for damage. If your well is damaged, contact a licensed well driller for assistance. You can search for well contractors in your county at Find Certified Well Contractors.

• Disinfect your well. If you can determine your well is not damaged, and you already have the necessary disinfection materials on hand, you can disinfect your well to prepare it to be tested. Use the NCDHHS instructions on How to Disinfect Your Well After a Flood for assistance. If you do not have disinfectant supplies or have questions about disinfecting your well, contact your local health department for assistance.

• Test your well. Because you cannot see, taste or smell bacterial contamination in your well, it is imperative to have the water tested after disinfection to determine whether it is safe for use. The North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health provides free testing available through local health departments.

• If you live near animal feeding operations, agricultural fields where pesticides are applied or industrial chemical factories, you should talk with your local health department about additional testing, especially if you smell fuel or chemicals in your water.

• Interpret your results. Your local health department or testing lab will provide the water testing results back to the well owner as quickly as possible. If you need help interpreting your results, you can use the online Be Well Informed tool (select North Carolina) or contact the NCDHHS Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch at 919-707-5900 or oeeb@dhhs.nc.gov.

In response to Hurricane Helene, the NC State Laboratory of Public Health and NCDHHS Environmental Health Section are working to provide both disinfection and sampling kits at Point of Distribution locations across Western North Carolina. More details will be announced soon.

Safety Measures for Septic Systems
Your septic system can also pose a public health risk after a flood or storm because of sewage backup, dangerous gases or contaminated wastewater.

If your property was affected by flooding or damage from Hurricane Helene, follow these steps to protect your septic system and your health:

• If your property has been flooded, do not use the plumbing system while the septic tank is still under water.

• Look for signs that your septic system may have been damaged, such as soil settling around the septic tank or drain field, septic system components that have moved or surfaced, or sewage backup into your home or wastewater on the ground.

• Do not use your plumbing system if sewage water has backed up into your home and avoid contact with any sewage from a septic tank that is not operating.

• Avoid putting floodwater or disinfectants into the system as these can cause further damage. Instead, contact your local health department if your system requires repairs.

• Have your septic system inspected by a certified wastewater system inspector after a flood or if you suspect storm-related damage. You can call the NC Onsite Wastewater Contractors and Inspectors Certification Board at (336) 202-3126 to find a certified inspector near you.

• Before restoring power to the system, ensure your electrical and system components are working properly. Check the electrical system for any damage, clean the effluent filter or screen, and determine whether your septic tank needs to be pumped by a licensed professional before coming back online

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• For assistance or additional information on repairing or constructing a septic tank system, contact your county health department.

• If your flood or storm-impacted septic system has caused sewage to back up into your home, take caution while cleaning the area to avoid exposure or direct contact with the debris. Wear rubber gloves, boots, and eye protection while cleaning and disinfecting the area. See the NCDHHS after-the-flood flier for additional information about safety measures to help keep yourself and your family safe when cleaning up after a flood.

Duke Energy told ABC11 that crews have restored power to about 1.4 million customers affected by Hurricane Helene across North Carolina.

About 49,000 customers remain without power in the mountain region, Duke Energy spokesman Bill Norton told ABC11. The majority of those are just northeast of Asheville.

Norton confirmed that crews are working in Florida following Hurricane Milton but stressed that those efforts in Florida will not affect repair work in western North Carolina.

"We've made tremendous progress, but western North Carolina specifically, remains a challenge, and we are not done," Norton said. "So we've got separate crews addressing the situation in Florida. I want to assure our western North Carolina viewers, we remain fully staffed in the area. We've got Duke Energy crews, contract crews from other states. They're going to remain here on the ground until power is fully restored for everyone."

In some parts of the mountains, repairs are not immediately possible.

"There are bridges that are washed away, roads that are washed away," Norton said, "If you think about where power lines are usually located, it's, it's in easements right along roadways, and the ground where we had those poles is gone. And it might be gone for, you know, 50 yards inward from the roadway. So you know that that is much more challenging. So for situations like that, we're opening a dedicated western North Carolina facility to serve as our base of operations while we continue rebuilding infrastructure."

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has signed House Bill 149 into law.

It is the first aid package from the General Assembly for recovery in western North Carolina as it continues to rebuild from Hurricane Helene.

Cooper issued the following statement on the signing of the bill:

"Recovery for western North Carolina will require unprecedented help from state and federal sources and this legislation is a strong first step. Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic damage but also showed the resiliency of North Carolina's people and its communities and we must continue the bipartisan work to help them build back strong."

Lawmakers said Wednesday that several more bills will be aimed at getting funds to those who need it most.