Kim Dalton

Several regional drinking water systems are struggling with problems created by flooding, according to Tennessee and Georgia officials.

Tennessee-American Water Co. reported diesel fuel floating in Citico Creek near Chattanooga's water intakes. The Spring City (Tenn.) Water System's operator told state officials their water intake structure was surrounded by flood waters.

Trion, Ga., with both the city drinking-water treatment plant and sewage treatment plants at least partially flooded, hasn't had clean water since Monday. Toccoa, Ga., with breaks in major water lines, is on a "boil water" alert.

With more rain forecast this weekend, water suppliers and regulators are paying extra attention to their treatment systems and water supply intakes which, by the necessity of their purposes, always are in flood plains.

Tisha Calabrese-Benton, spokeswoman with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, said all water system operators must be on heightened alert and adjust their treatment process during heavy rains and flooding.

"We have not had any reports of systems failing to meet treatment standards at this time," she said.

Bert Langley, manager of the Mountain District watershed office of the Georgia Department of National Resources' Environmental Protection Division, said flooding can have a strong impact on water systems. And there is little a system operator can do in the way of prevention, he said.

"There's not much way you can get in front of things like this. That's the problem," he said.

Regulators said wastewater flows by gravity to sewer treatment systems and, during heavy rains or floods, the waste often overflows to the same rivers and streams that serve drinking water plants. During storms, the streams and rivers also are taking on extra mud and street runoff, so the water picked up in intakes can have many extra contaminants.

Kim Dalton, spokeswoman for Tennessee-American Water Co., said water treatment workers first noticed the sheen of petroleum on water near the city's water intake about 10 a.m. on Monday. She said it was gone by 3:30 p.m. the same day.

"At no time did it enter the water intakes," Ms. Dalton said. "But as an additional precaution, Tennessee-American increased the frequency of (raw water) testing at the intakes."

Ms. Calabrese-Benton said the sheen turned out to be diesel fuel, part of an overflow from a lagoon treatment system at DeButts Rail Yard, she said. After the weekend of heavy rain, "a low point of the DeButts treatment dike was exceeded and the diesel fuel was discharged into Citico Creek," she said.

Citico Creek empties into the Tennessee River just a few feet from the Chattanooga water intakes.

Ms. Calabrese-Benton also said Spring City Water System's operator reported that, although their water intake structure was surrounded by flood waters, they were able to operate and had not violated any treatment standards.

On Thursday afternoon, Chattooga County Sole Commissioner Jason Winters said Trion residents all should have water again soon, but they will have to boil it for a few days.

"We're working on it, but we'll still have a boil advisory," he said.

Mr. Winters said city officials have sent treated water samples off to the state to check on their viability as drinking water.

"They should be back in a few days," he said.

DRINKING WATER ADVICE

* Stay out of flooded areas. Floodwaters are a mix of many contaminants ranging from industrial runoff and mud to raw sewage.

* Don't assume your water is safe. Call your water system operator, especially if the system is small.

* If there's a "boil water" advisory, boil your water.

* Be patient. In a disaster, it takes a while to get back to normal

Source: Tennessee and Georgia water regulators