With no running water, Asheville finds other ways to flush thousands of toilets

Jerry Cahill fills several orange buckets with a hose.
Jerry Cahill has been flushing toilets as a volunteer since his studio in Asheville's River Arts District was destroyed by flooding from the remnants of Helene. (Rolando Arrieta/NPR)

At a public housing complex, volunteers knock on apartment doors offering assistance with an activity most of us take for granted.

They carry 5-gallon buckets of water to flush the toilets of grateful residents like John Brown.

“I appreciate the fantastic work you guys are doing,” said Brown, who is visually impaired and uses a wheelchair.