Buildings with septic tank floating in Weaverville water source demolished by county
Two structures with what Buncombe County officials said were "extensive" violations of environmental health and other rules along an important waterway have been demolished after a vote by local elected officials.
The buildings at 1599 and 1603 Barnardsville Highway, a commercial structure and garage, had brightly painted walls facing the road with a honeycomb and other designs, according to land record photos. They also had smaller accessory structures, vehicles, building materials and various piles of debris scattered throughout the property that sits in a flood prone area along Dillingham Creek, according to Bob Haynes, the county permits and inspections director.
"This area is located in the water supply for Weaverville's drinking water," Haynes told the county Board of Commissioners at a May 21 meeting at which commissioners voted unanimously to fund the $84,000 to pay a contractor this month to demolish the buildings and clean up debris. Haynes said the building owner had done work that had exacerbated flooding. He noted the structures had been condemned and had their electric systems cut off − though still caught fire somehow in 2023.
When Tropical Storm Fred tore through Western North Carolina in 2021, the buildings suffered damage that left a septic tank floating in the Ivy River next to Dillingham Creek, Haynes said. An aerial photo that was part of storm damage surveillance showed debris and what he said was the tank. At the May commissioners meeting, Haynes said the problems weren't "as bad as (the pictures) are right now, but it's pretty close."
Weaverville Water Treatment Plant Superintendent Randall Wilson told the Citizen Times June 17 that the bank and land around the tank had eroded and left it sitting in the river where it is now, though it is not causing any public harm in terms of water quality.
"We do a bacteria count on our source water daily," Wilson said, adding that as with many other waterways, the bacteria count goes up after rains because of animals, and, he acknowledged, failing septic systems.
Attempts were made to reach the owner of the property, listed as Sandrea Davis, with addresses in Naples, Florida, and Barnardsville. In 2023, the county sued and got legal permission to demolish the structures with the contractor completing the job June 3. In a June. 4 filing, the county made a claim to the property until the owner paid the cost of demolition. The properties were valued by the county assessor's office at $197,000 in 2021 but are now listed at $13,000 without the buildings.
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Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Demolished: buildings with septic floating in Weaverville water source
