Where does Waynesville's Water Come From?

Waynesville's watershed is located southwest of Waynesville and covers an area of 8,400 acres on the headwaters of Allens Creek. Tributary streams within the watershed flow into the Waynesville Reservoir, a 50-acre man-made lake created by a dam on Allens Creek. The reservoir and surrounding watershed are classified by the State of North Carolina as WS-1. This classification is the state's most stringent and forbids development within the watershed boundary.

Raw water from the reservoir is treated at the Waynesville Water Treatment Plant. The treatment process has five main steps: rapid mixing, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and post chemical treatment. The objective of rapid mixing and flocculation is to cause small suspended particles to clump together for removal by sedimentation and filtration. The filters are anthracite and sand. Final chemical treatment uses chlorine for disinfection, fluoride for prevention of dental cavities and a poly phosphate to control corrosion in the distribution system.

The Waynesville Town Board recently approved two conservation easements to protect the Allens Creek Watershed. The Board approved a Forever Wild easement on 690 acres where no activities can occur. In addition, the Town Board approved a conservation easement on 7,340 acres which will allow forestry management practices under highly controlled circumstances. Negotiations are underway with Western Carolina University to develop a Forest Management Plan, a process that will likely take 18 to 24 months. The Town hopes to use the watershed as an educational resource for students at Western and that it will be developed into a model forest for others to see and exemplify.

The Town of Waynesville encourages public participation in decisions that may affect water quality.  Additional information on the Waynesville Watershed is available here.

Or contact:      Waynesville Water Treatment Plant
                         Superintendent Kyle H. Cook
                         Phone: 828-456-8497
                         E-mail: