GOT CLEAN WATER?
The Environmental Protection Agency established maximum contaminant levels using the assumption that if most people drink two liters of water containing disinfection byproducts in excess of the maximum contaminant level every day for 70 years, then one person in 10,000 will have an increased risk of cancer. Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys or central nervous systems, as well as an increased risk of cancer.
Despite fixes, flushes and staff changes at the Tennessee Department of Correction’s Taft Water Plant in Bledsoe County, customers of the Fall Creek Falls Utility District are still drinking water recently cited for a violation of the Tennessee Clean Water Act.
In November, state Rep. Ron Travis, R-Dayton, said during a tour of the plant that the sample he had from Taft was the “best glass of water he’d ever had,” according to a release from TDOC.
On Friday, Travis said the violation issued in December from samples taken before Sept. 30 shows more work is needed and state officials must be vigilant to make sure the water stays clean.
A more recent, fourth-quarter 2014 sample shows that the contaminant dropped back below the maximum allowable level, records show.