Public Notices

Note: See our Storm Recovery Resources & Help page for additional updates.

November 26, 2024: Public Notice from the Town of Banner Elk
This is a Boil Water Notification from the Town of Banner Elk. Water service is anticipated to be restored to The Highlands. As water pressure is restored, we are issuing a boil water advisory for the customers that have not had service in that area. This includes Highland Drive, Heather Lane, and Glendale Place. The boil water advisory will be in effect until further notice.

Periods of low or no pressure in the distribution system increases the potential for back siphonage and introduction of bacteria into the water system. Therefore, the Division of Water Resources advises as water service is restored consumers boil all water used for human consumption (including drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation) or use bottled water. Vigorous boiling for one (1) minute should eliminate the potential for health hazards that may be present in the water. We look forward to services in your area being restored.
20241126-2

November 26, 2024: Public Notice from the Town of Banner Elk
This is a Boil Water Notification update from the Town of Banner Elk. The Boil Water Advisory issued for The Vistas and Elkmont has been lifted. Our system operator has reported that results of the test conducted were good, with no signs of bacteriological growth and Chlorine residuals are at normal levels. Thank you to our water consumers for their patience and understanding during this time.
20241126

November 18, 2024: Request for Proposal
Request for Proposal: Comprehensive Disaster Recovery Management Services

November 14, 2024: Public Notice from the Town of Banner Elk
This is a Boil Water Notification from the Town of Banner Elk. Water pressure is being restored to The Vistas and Elkmont. We are issuing a boil water advisory for both, and it will be in effect until further notice.

Thank you to our water consumers for their patience and understanding during this time.

Nov 7 Update
Boil Water Notification update from the Town of Banner Elk. As water pressure is being restored to new areas of Town we are issuing new boil water advisories for only these areas: all customers from 700 Main Street East to 1645 Balm Highway. Including Shawneehaw Heights and all connections along that section of 194. Exception: The Lodges at Elkmont now has a sewer connnection, but no water just yet. Periods of low or no pressure in the distribution system increases the potential for back siphonage and introduction of bacteria into the water system. Therefore, the Division of Water Resources advises as water service is restored consumers boil all water used for human consumption (including drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation) or use bottled water. Vigorous boiling for one (1) minute should eliminate the potential for health hazards that may be present in the water.

Nov 4 Update
Boil Advisory lifted for areas listed under Nov 1 advisory. 85% of town now has water/sewer.

Nov 1 Update
More good news! Additional water service has been restored with a BOIL ADVISORY for these areas: Beech Haven Road, Brookview Lane, Elkview Place, Chime Hill, Tate Dr, Breezy Lane, Hemlock Place, Old Turnpike W Road (except Highlands), Perry Road, Wakley Way, Beech Mountain Parkway below Vistas, Silver Springs Dr, Meadowview Apts, Elk Creek Drive.
Boil advisory has been lifted for those that had water restored earlier in the week.

Oct 31 Update
The Boil Water Advisory issued Tuesday for those customers that had water pressure has been lifted. Our system operator has reported that results of the test conducted were good, with no signs of bacteriological growth and Chlorine residuals are at normal levels. We are issuing a boil water advisory for Elk Creek Drive which has just received water pressure. We will continue to update the list of areas under boil water advisories as water pressure is restored to additional areas. Thank you to our water consumers for their patience and understanding during this difficult time.
Rick Owen
Manager, Town of Banner Elk

Oct 29 UPDATE
Water pressure has been restored to many customers of the Town of Banner Elk (including Lees-McRae College). If you have water, you are now under a Boil Water Advisory. Additional repairs are underway to restore all water/sewer connections. The Division of Water Resources advises that restored consumers boil all water (vigorously for 1 minute) used for human consumption – including drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation. Water may be used for flushing toilets, laundry, bathing, and washing hands for basic personal hygiene. During bathing, please monitor small children to ensure they do not accidentally drink the water. Infants can be given sponge baths. If your dishwasher has a sanitizing cycle or reaches a final rinse temperature of at least 170°F, you can use it. If hand-washing dishes, wash and rinse dishes using hot water, then soak them in a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented bleach per gallon of warm water for at least one minute. Allow the dishes to air dry completely before using them again. We continue running required tests before lifting the boil water advisory. No pressure in the distribution system increased the potential for back siphonage and introduction of bacteria into the water system.

Areas without sewer service due to additional breaks include The Vistas, The Highlands, Lodges at Elkmont, 700 East Main to Elkmont (include Dollar General), and Shawneehaw Heights.

Oct 28 UPDATE
While the sewer main trunkline to the Wastewater Treatment Plant is repaired, many water and sewer breaks throughout town still exist. Water has returned to much of central Banner Elk, but it is only safe for flushing. We anticipate moving to a boil advisory later this week. Crews are busy and repairs are complex. Areas without sewer service due to additional breaks include The Vistas, The Highlands, Lodges at Elkmont, 700 East Main to Elkmont (include Dollar General), and Shawneehaw Heights. IMPORTANT: If you see or hear water running, please call Town Hall to report it: 828-898-5398. The more we work together to find leaks, the quicker repairs are made!

Oct 24 UPDATE
The Sewer Mainline leading to the Wastewater Treatment Plant is repaired and ready for most of the town! Water has also returned to much of the town, but it is only for flushing for now. Areas without sewer service include The Vistas, The Highlands, Lodges at Elkmont, 700 East Main to Elkmont, Park Ave (includes Town Hall & Town Tavern) Shawneehaw Heights and connections east along 194. Many water line repairs also completed. If you have water, only use it for toilets. The Town is treating and testing water and will update when it is safe for other uses.

Oct 19, 2024 UPDATE
Three weeks after Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic damage to our area, the Town of Banner Elk continues to work on restoring water and sewer to residents and businesses. After rebuilding more than a half mile of road to the Wastewater Treatment Plant last week, power infrastructure and lines were installed this week. In addition, about half of the washed-out main sewer pipeline has been replaced. This process has been challenging due to chiseling through our mountain rock to create a new path for the pipeline, because the river washed away the previous path.

More materials are arriving Monday, so the remainder of the sewer line should be replaced next week. After the line is installed, our sewer system should restart. Until then, please do not send any wastewater down your drains, especially toilets. Meanwhile, several contract crews are testing water lines to locate leaks and isolate breaks. This area will expand next week.

REMINDER: As lines are being flushed, water will intermittently run through the system. If you find that there is water at your residence, or place of business, this water SHOULD NOT be used. Once water service is restored, the town will alert you and issue a boil water notice to allow for testing of the water.

As water lines are becoming active again, please turn all faucets off. There are many breaks in water lines that we need to find. IMPORTANT: If you see or hear water running, please call Town Hall to report it: (828) 898-5398. The more we work together to find leaks, the quicker repairs are made! Some areas of town will be without water and sewer for an extended period due to road washouts, broken pump systems and pipes washed away.

Many resources have arrived to help with the complicated process. A special disaster recovery team is coordinating and utilizing many state and federal resources available as a recognized critical emergency need. We anticipate much progress in the next week!

Oct 13, 2024, Update from Rick Owen, Town Manager:
We are 2 weeks out from what I now know to be DR-4827-NC, which is the official disaster designation number for the damage left behind by Helene. As quick as the storm moved out, our community entered full recovery mode. Contractors, business owners and private individuals have all rushed to the opportunity to help our area. (Pic above: Washed out road to the Wastewater Treatment Plant)

With the enormous help of volunteers, The Historic Banner Elk School has become a resource center for the distribution of not only food and water but most any other need our community could ask for including heat sources. Daily hot meals are also available. Information on this and other updates can be found at www.bannerelk.com/help. This is the Banner Elk Tourism Development Authority website. I am sure many people are also using the Visit Banner Elk Facebook page for additional timely updates.

Over the last week we have made progress on our first phase of infrastructure repairs. Eggers Construction has rebuilt the road below the dam from the Mill Pond to the sewer plant. This will allow for the repair of the washed-out sewer main to begin this week. Other damaged sewer system collection lines have been identified and repair work on those will also begin. A contractor has been doing extensive cleaning to remove debris from other main sewer lines all week and a second crew will join in that work Monday.

We have run several of our wells to begin flushing lines and identifying areas in need of repair. We will be pumping water at times, but this is not for the purpose of providing water to residents. If at any time you find that you have water, it should not be considered safe to drink and at a minimum would require it to be boiled. We will give notice to users at the point we are ready to provide drinking water. As the main sewer trunklines are ready, we will be able to begin restoring water pressure. The water will be restored in phases as it comes back on. We will provide more information on this as we approach that point.

Our timeline remains to be known but we make progress each day. We have engaged a firm from Wilmington, NC to assist us with the work we are doing. They specifically bring to us a background in Public Assistance and Disaster Recovery. They will give us access to professionals in the world of FEMA from funding reimbursement to engineering services and utility work experience. Various members of their staff have been in Town over the last week. They have offered invaluable help already, and some of the insight they have given is reassurance that our planning, direction and reaction to our damage has been appropriate, and we have made huge strides in our recovery from where we were 2 weeks ago.

As we concentrate on sewer and water, we continue our assessment of all Town infrastructure and facilities. This includes roads, bridges, culverts, the park, buildings, etc. Inspections of all these things are being done and repairs planned. Many of these will be temporary and everyone needs to continue to use caution.

I no longer see this as a storm, but as an event. An event that has forever changed our lives, our landscape, our tree lines and our creeks and rivers. However, as we rebuild, I believe DR-4827-NC will someday only symbolize how strong a community we are.

Thank you to all the businesses and individuals that are helping to hold our community tight.

Rick Owen
Manager, Town of Banner Elk