What we do

The Public Works Department provides essential core services that include construction and maintenance of City streets, sidewalks, and stormwater infrastructure, as well as solid waste management, to Asheville citizens and visitors in a prompt, professional, efficient, and safe manner. The dedicated employees of the Public Works Department strive to provide these services equitably to all neighborhoods in a manner that reflects our emphasis on quality customer service, environmental stewardship, fiscal responsibility, and transparency. The department is led and directed by the Administration division and internally supported by the Fleet Management and Asset Management (GIS) divisions.


Report an Issue

Report an issue through the Asheville App  The Asheville App  or call 828-251-1122.

Division-Specific Issues

Sanitation issues include missed collection for trash or brush, roll cart issues, illegal dumping or littering, and overgrown lots.

Stormwater issues include drainage issues and flooding.

Streets issues include potholes, graffiti, sidewalk hazards, trees in the right-of-way, and snow removal.


City of Asheville Standard Specifications and Details Manual (SSDM)


Sanitation Division

Visit the Sanitation Division page for more information.


Stormwater Division

 

  • Installs and maintains storm drain infrastructure
  • Maintains ditches and trenches to help control the flow of rainwater down public streets
  • Sweeps streets
  • Works with the Development Services Department to issue permits for grading, erosion control, and flood control, as well as stormwater ordinance enforcement

Visit the Stormwater Division page for more information.


Streets Division

  • Installation, maintenance, repair, and revitalization of:
    • Streets
    • Bridges
    • Sidewalks
    • Walls
    • Guardrails
  • Street & sidewalk closures
  • Tree trimming
  • Mowing in the right-of-way
  • Street sweeping in the Central Business District after normal working hours
  • Graffiti removal
  • Snow removal
  • Encroachment Agreements
  • Utility cut permits
  • SnowMapper
  • MapAsheville

Visit the Streets Division page for more information.


National Flood Insurance Program 

To ensure that all Community floodplain properties can receive affordable flood insurance, the Community must comply with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements. One of these requirements is that the Community must adopt and enforce floodplain ordinances pursuant to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) standards. Should the Community fail or neglect to enforce adopted flood ordinances, the community’s enrollment in the NFIP would be revoked resulting in the inability for property owners to get flood insurance or these same polices being dramatically more expensive to property owners.


Flood Assistance Support Team

The Flood Assistance Support Team (FAST) is here to provide focused and personalized support for property/business owners, developers, and designers needing timely and clear information about what can be built or developed in the floodplain.

This is a dedicated, interdepartmental team charged with prioritizing floodplain assistance and serving as the definitive group to help parties whose activities are subject to floodplain requirements. 

Parties needing special assistance to better evaluate their development options will be provided fee-free FAST Sessions. Dedicated time slots for FAST Sessions are offered twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday.  Once registered, the full team will be alerted and in attendance at the meeting. The findings and action steps from these meetings will be documented.

The FAST team will perform outreach to property owners who may have experienced substantial damage from Helene. They will start by reviewing properties that have already submitted permits on hold.

The permits on hold have generally

  1. Sustained substantial damage; or
  2. They are close to the substantial damage threshold.

These permits were placed on hold to provide staff the opportunity to work directly with the contractor and property owners on any up-to-date building value information such as pre-storm appraisals as well as their options for rebuilding.

You can contact the team by email at fast@ashevillenc.gov. More resources are available here.

Related Services

Report a pothole in a city street

Potholes – We’re Working on It! Maintaining the over 400 miles of road within the City of Asheville is a top priority. Currently, there are a number of pending requests for street maintenance, and the City wants to share the process for fulfilling these requests. Our ability to address pothole repair requests has been impacted by Tropical Storm [...]

Related Projects

debris at riverside cemetery

Riverside Cemetery Recovery

The City of Asheville, in partnership with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the NC Department of Public Safety, North Carolina Office of State Archaeology, the State Historic Preservation Office, and Western Carolina University (WCU), is advancing debris removal and restoration efforts at Riverside Cemetery following damage from Tropical Storm Helene under the North Carolina Emergency Management SMART program.

Old Toll Road Landslide Recovery Project

The Old Toll Road Landslide Recovery Project addresses damage caused by Tropical Storm Helene, which triggered a landslide on Old Toll Road near the intersection with Sunset Drive on September 27, 2024. Public Works crews began repairs in March 2025, installing stormwater infrastructure and rebuilding the road.

PW crews working to repave a road in gashes creek

Gashes Creek Access

Project Overview In September 2024, Tropical Storm Helene caused severe flooding throughout the region. The wash out of Gashes Creek Bridge restricted access to the Gashes Creek neighborhood, Highland Brewing, and the WNC Nature Center, prompting emergency coordination and temporary access planning.  In the long term, this project will restore permanent access to the area. Federal and [...]

Public Works News

Amy with pink shirt and sweater with a blue background

The City of Asheville announces Amy Deyton as Public Works Director

Asheville City Manager, Debra Campbell, is pleased to announce that Amy Deyton has been named as the City of Asheville’s next Public Works Director. Amy will officially begin her duties as Public Works Director immediately.