ASHEVILLE, Nc. — It’s been nearly seven weeks since Hurricane Helene and the city of Asheville still does not have drinkable tap water and it may not come for another month.
Channel 2′s Bryan Mims was in Asheville on Wednesday at the hard-hit River Arts District, where several buildings housing art studios and galleries were flooded out and knocked down.
Rebuilding the area and bringing the artists back could take years, but in Asheville’s high-energy downtown, most restaurants and businesses have swung wide their doors again.
“We had to shut down pretty much immediately,” Jon Leibowitz, who owns Manicomio Pizza said.
He says after Helene sliced through the city, his restaurant and every other in downtown Asheville, he had to close for weeks.
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Floodwater knocked the city’s water treatment plant offline. the taps went dry.
In mid-October, the water began running again, although it is still not drinkable. That’s why Manicomio has a 275-gallon tank of drinkable water.
“It’s awesome to be back open again, to not only have money come back in but also have structure and routine,” Leibowitz said.
Asheville officials say the water in the city’s reservoir is still too murky. which means it’s unsafe to drink from the faucet in the city.
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But restaurants have brought in their own water tanks, and one by one, they have re-opened.
An upscale eatery called Chestnut is opening in Asheville on Thursday. Brian Crow, the executive chef said he was still excited about the opening despite challenges.
“It feels great, you know. I think it’s been a lot for our city for sure. Our city has been through a lot,” Crow said.
The shoppers and tourists are slowly trickling back into Asheville.
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