PDF: Water quality program
A local carpet cleaning company owner believes the media "miscategorized" his business after environmental officials caught two of his employees illegally dumping fluid onto a county street.
"My poor marketing reps are getting asked everywhere they go, having to clarify," said Steve Brown, co-owner of Servpro of North Chattanooga. "We did not dump chemicals. We dumped water that had a nontoxic solution in it."
On June 2, a Hamilton County Sheriff's Office deputy spotted two Servpro of North Chattanooga workers dumping an unknown liquid onto Rocky Ledge Road in Hixson.
Hamilton County Water Quality program officials found a diluted solution featuring a small amount of cleaning concentrate with "low toxicity (and) reactivity," a report states.
The ground absorbed 35 gallons of soapy fluid after it stopped flowing about 4,000 feet away from Falling Water Creek, which feeds into the county's water supply.
While the fluid never reached the creek, dumping the fluid -- whatever was in it, still is illegal, said Tom McDonald, Hamilton County water quality manager.
"We're not rushing anything simply because it didn't hit the creek," he said. "But it's illegal."
Still, Mr. Brown wasn't so sure about using the term "chemicals" as he discussed the incident. He said he sympathized with a fellow employee who could not identify the solution's main ingredients after the spill.
"Sometimes it's hard to say whether it's this or that," he said. "What I would have told you is it's a carpet-cleaning detergent or shampoo."
Servpro of North Chattanooga must submit an explanation for the incident and ways to prevent future spills to county water quality officials. A second offense could warrant a $1,000 fine, Mr. McDonald said.
Water pollution reporting hotlineIf you suspect an illegal spill or dumping of chemicals, call 423-209-7888.
Mr. Brown said the two workers were reprimanded, but he refused to elaborate. He said any future instances would lead to immediate termination.
"I have strived for 11 years to make sure we present an appearance of integrity," he said. "Our guys made a horrible error in judgment. We won't let this go to waste."
Citizens "haven't been afraid" to report illegal dumping incidents, according to Mr. McDonald. He said 35 spills were reported between September 2008 and September 2009, about a 20 percent increase from the previous year.
"People want their streams clean, so we're seeing more of these things being reported and investigated," Mr. McDonald said.
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