Hot Springs Strives to Restore Tourism After Helene
The Town of Hot Springs is nestled just north of Asheville and is known for its mineral hot springs and its placement along the Appalachian Trail, among other natural attractions. The French Broad River runs through the Town, so when Hurricane Helene swept through the region, Hot Springs faced a myriad of damages. Members of our water and wastewater team have been working with the Town to repair the infrastructure and get systems back up and running. One of the main challenges was the damage to the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).
Hot Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant
The Town’s WWTP is located along the French Broad River. Before Helene, the WWTP was already over capacity; the aging facility was built in 1969 and needed to be replaced. Partial funding from the UNC Finance Center Collaboratory had been secured to upgrade and expand the WWTP. In the months since Helene, we have been able to help the Town return the WWTP to an operational state; however, compliance with meeting the limits of the NPDES permit continues to be challenging. Completed improvements and repairs to the WWTP include:
- Removing debris from the aeration ring of the WWTP
- Removing debris from the secondary clarifier
- Repairing the secondary clarifier
- Repairing the aeration blower
- Installing a new chemical feed system housed inside of a steel shipping container
- Constructing a new chlorine contact chamber and outfall pipe to replace the system washed away by the flooding
- Installing a new return sludge pump to replace the inoperable air lift pump system
In addition to the WWTP, the following items have also been worked on: the two main sewer lines, three of the four lift stations, and the housing authority sand filter. The Town is hopeful that repairs to the Town Hall and the maintenance complex will be making progress soon.
Trail Tourism
The Appalachian Trail draws around 2,000 hikers each year, which means the Town of Hot Springs gets a lot of tourism from thru-hikers in the spring and summer months. Hot Springs is the only town in North Carolina that brings hikers directly through it, which provides an economic advantage. At the start of the season, hikers were advised to avoid the Hot Springs section of the trail, but that has since changed. One of the perks of hikers passing through a trail town is the ability to sleep in a hostel or hotel and eat a hot meal from a restaurant; it also gives hikers an opportunity to restock.
Hot Springs is the first town that hikers pass through going northbound from Springer Mountain. The Town’s largest hostel, Laughing Heart, is still closed for repairs, which were planned prior to the storm, but since the storm caused so much damage in the region, the owners have been unable to find a contractor to complete the repairs. The Hot Springs Resort has stepped in to fill the void of the hostel, which has allowed the hikers who still choose to pass through a place to stay.
Reopening Celebrations
Aside from the Appalachian Trail thru-hikers, tourism is generally down; however, a reopening event paired with the annual Trailfest in May brought around 700 people to the Town. The event was held on the Hot Springs Resort’s property, which now has eight hot spring tubs back open.
The Town is working hard to be back at full capacity–its people and businesses want tourists to return and support the places that are open. Big Pillow Brewing, the Town’s first brewery that is named after a rapid on the French Broad River, is open and ready for guests, as is Vinyl Pies Pizza, Vaste Riviere Outpost, Bluff Mountain Outfitters, Hot Springs Rafting, Tobacco Road, Smoky Mountain Diner, Sara Jo’s Station, and Hillbilly Market.
What’s Next?
Gentry Hardware or the Artisun Gallery will probably be the next businesses to reopen. Even though Hot Springs does not look or feel the same as it did before Helene, it is still the same Hot Springs–it has the same welcoming people and natural mountain beauty; the brick and mortar just looks a little different.
Stay Connected
Learn more about the Town of Hot Springs by exploring their Visit Hot Springs website, and you can learn more about McGill’s work with Helene recovery projects by reading past articles or looking at the services our water / wastewater team has to offer.
