Michael Holcombe, Author
In August of last year, Michael Holcombe had completed a two-years-in-the-making manuscript about the history of Asheville’s water. “Once the horrific storm hit, there was no question that there was now a missing chapter on the history of the Asheville water system to be added,” Holcombe says.
To this history, he brings knowledge gained from 20 years of experience working with the City of Asheville’s Water Resources Department where he retired in 1999, as director of water resources.
“I believe that the Asheville water system is a priceless asset for the region, normally possessing the finest raw drinking water in the eastern US,” he says. “With its temporary destruction during and after Helene, it is important to me that our citizens realize the gift that we have here and how we must restore and improve it, in the face of climate change.”
The book unveils many interesting facts about Asheville water and its impact on the city’s growth. “A lot of the fascinating things happened here before the Internet, and I don’t want these wonderful stories to be lost.”
The Story of Asheville’s Water: Before and Beyond Hurricane Helene, January 2025, history, paperback, $18.95, by Michael Holcombe, and independently published. A signing will be held Saturday, June 21, from 12–3 p.m. at Barnes & Noble’s Asheville Mall location.
