From the Cleveland Daily Banner: Local utilities, as well as state and federal agencies, continue their collaboration to address taste and odor is
From the Cleveland Daily Banner: Local utilities, as well as state and federal agencies, continue their collaboration to address taste and odor issues that has affected area drinking water since mid-April, according to a press statement released by Cleveland Utilities, the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation, as well as Etowah Utilities and the Hiwassee Utilities Commission on Friday, May 26.
The source of the water’s earthy taste and odor is from naturally occurring, algae-compound found in the Hiwassee River,” according to CU, which added “daily water plant testing and ongoing TDEC testing do not indicate a health concern.”
CU said the utilities and agencies referenced in the statement are “not aware of any related concerns regarding recreation on the Hiwassee River.”
“All parties continue to collect and analyze water samples to identify the cause of the algae and develop potential solutions,” CU said. “All water flow during the weeks preceding, and also since algae was detected, have been above the minimum amount of flow as set forth in TVA’s Reservoir Operations Policy.”
CU also said TVA is continues to supply water flows “that are at or in excess of the required minimum flow.”
“Rest assured that we are working together to identify the source of the algae and address the community’s concerns,” CU said.
The taste and odor issues are specifically attributed to the presence of Geosmin and MIB, which are compounds often found in lakes and reservoirs.
During CU’s board of directors meeting on Friday, Tim Henderson, CU’s president and CEO, said the utility is also testing the Hiwassee’s water independently to locate the source of the taste and odor issues, which he said are generally undetected by average water consumers unless algae trace chemicals are above 10 parts per trillion.
However, he said at some sites tested along the river, levels reached more than 100 parts per trillion.
“So, that makes it a lot more common to have a little difference in taste and odor associated with it,” he said.
Craig Mullinax, vice president of CU’s water and wastewater division, said “we have been blessed for a long time until this April” to not have had water-taste issues.
“The river has been a wonderful source of water, and it still is,” he said.
Henderson said “we can 100% say the water is safe that we’re providing our customers.”
“It’s not harmful in any way, shape or form,” he said.
