Buncombe County to Rebuild Sewer Station at French Broad River Park

Buncombe County’s Metropolitan Sewerage District (MSD) has initiated a significant infrastructure project to replace the Carrier Bridge Pump Station, located at 510 Riverview Drive. Directly adjacent to Asheville’s French Broad River Park, this project aims to accommodate regional growth and enhance wastewater management capabilities.​

Originally constructed in 1966, the Carrier Bridge Pump Station is MSD’s largest, currently operating at a capacity of 23 million gallons per day (MGD). The forthcoming replacement station is designed with an initial capacity of 40 MGD, with provisions for future expansion up to 50 MGD. This upgrade is essential to meet projected demands over the next 50 years and to ensure the protection of the French Broad River’s water quality.

Planned improvements include:

• Construction of the new pump station and an odor control system.
• Decommissioning of the existing station.​
• Installation of approximately 800 feet of new 60-inch influent gravity sewer.​
• Laying about 1,500 feet of parallel 36-inch discharge force mains connecting the pump station to the French Broad Interceptor on the river’s east side.​

In January 2024, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality approved two open-cut sanitary sewer crossings of the French Broad River, marking a significant milestone for the project. Permits for the project have been filed with the City of Asheville as of April 8th, 2025. The construction phase is expected to span approximately three years, targeting completion by 2029.​

This reconstruction project underscores MSD’s commitment to enhancing Asheville’s wastewater infrastructure, ensuring it meets future demands while safeguarding environmental standards.

Additional information about the project can be found here.