Germantown water contamination crisis: Here's what to know - Commercial Appeal

Germantown water contamination crisis: Here's what to know

Germantown lifts water restrictions for some residents

As a water crisis ended its fourth day, the city of Germantown and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) late Sunday "reached an agreement to allow water customers east of Forest Hill Irene Road to resume consumption and normal use of water" from the City system effective at 9 p.m. Sunday July 23.

The city said some additional areas are also included. An interactive map, identifying the specific area in blue, is available at Germantown-TN.gov/WaterRestorationMap.

The city of Germantown said TDEC has requested that additional testing be performed before making a decision about the rest of the city. Germantown said the additional testing is currently underway and results would be reviewed late into Sunday evening. The city advised that customers outside the area where the restriction has been lifted should wait until their area is released "to complete any flushing."

What to do if your water restrictions have been lifted

In a statement, Germantown said: "Customers in the area east of Forest Hill-Irene Road must flush interior service lines to remove water that has been standing in interior pipes. Those in this area who have not detected the smell of diesel in their home may simply open all faucets, hot and cold, and allow them to run for five minutes. After this flushing of water service lines is complete, customers may resume their normal water consumption."

The city added that residents who have detected odor from the water in their home should follow a more extensive process outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That process is outlined here:

∙Step 1: Open a couple of cold water taps and run for 15 minutes to clear the customer service line from main.

∙ Step 2: Open each cold tap one at a time and run that for 5 min to clean that specific line. Begin nearest to where water enters the building and move toward the farthest tap. Repeat for the rest of the cold taps.

∙Step 3: Repeat steps 1 and 2 by running hot water through the taps.

∙ Step 4: Any dishes or clothing washed while the restriction was in place should be rewashed.

∙Step 5: Water-using devices may require additional cleaning steps in addition to flushing (e.g., discarding ice). Consult the device manufacturer’s maintenance instructions.

The city said that if residents detect a residual odor in the water after this more extensive flushing process is complete, customers should contact customer service at CustomerService@Germantown-TN.gov or (901) 757-7200.

More: Germantown stores and residents still without water; no update on when water will be safe

Why did city decide to partially lift the restriction?

The city added in a statement: "While the entire Germantown water system is fed by both the Southern Avenue and Johnson Road water treatment plants, the decision to partially lift the restriction was based on the knowledge of how water flows through the system and the absence of odor reports taken in the area."

On Thursday, Germantown first advised residents not to consume the city's tap water. After a few residents reported their tap water had a strong odor, Germantown’s water department staffers determined a generator — which was powering the Southern Avenue water treatment facility during the current power outage — had been leaking diesel fuel into an underground reservoir.

During a news briefing Thursday evening, officials said that, at worst, 100 gallons of diesel fuel had leaked into the underground reservoir, which contains about 4.2 million gallons of water.

On Thursday, Germantown Fire Department deployed a hazardous materials response team to the Southern Avenue water plant, the city said. The leak was stopped and TDEC was called in to ensure the response met its standards.

According to the city, crews drained the affected reservoirs to a level that allowed a safe neutralizing agent to be applied early Friday morning. By midday Friday, reservoirs were refilled and water pumped into the elevated tower to address any residue in the system.

Work was conducted with oversight from TDEC and Shelby County Emergency Management Agency. Initial samples were sent to a local lab, and the Shelby County Health Department is independently testing samples, the city said.