Sewer line break contaminates North Fork Turkey Creek
The Town of Farragut notified notified First Utility District of the problem about 10:30 am. Monday, May 11.
“Our stormwater coordinator, Cliff Mann, heard that a sewage leak had been reported on his way in to work yesterday, so he began an inspection immediately,” Town communications manager Wendy Smith said. “He located the source of the leak and informed FUD of the location. He also contacted [Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation] as required when there is water pollution,” Smith said.
FUD later posted on its Facebook page, stating a damaged sewer line was being repaired.
FUD assistant manager Kena Hyers explained FUD has a contractor who is in the midst of replacing a 50-year-old sewer pipe with a new one.
“At the time they were not excavating, and the equipment was sitting on the pipe, and the heaviness of [the equipment] actually broke [the pipe],” she said. “So, we’ve got an overflow, and they’re working on it to get a bypass pump to get it stopped, and that’s what they’re doing right now,”
According to Town of Farragut reports, the FUD “sewer main break has contaminated North Fork Turkey Creek from Grigsby Chapel Road to the Fort Loudoun Reservoir. No one (humans or animals) should be in or around North Fork Turkey Creek south of Grigsby Chapel Road until FUD says the water is safe.”
Hyers said the area around Founders Park [at Campbell Station] was affected.
“We talked to [Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation] this morning, and [Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency] this morning,” she added. “We’re following all procedures that we’re supposed to do.
“First Utility has been taking samples up and down the creek so we can actually test the water,” Hyers said.
Meanwhile at Founders Park, residents are seeing caution tape wrapped around trees and the bridge to block the area around the creek.
“The Parks Maintenance Department added caution tape at Founders Park to keep people out of the water — FUD had already placed signs at
the park,” Smith said. “Cliff hung around the site yesterday as a liaison, but other
than these things, the
Town wasn’t involved with cleanup.”
“Hurst, the contractor, they’re the ones actually doing the work, so they are putting in the new pipe,” Hyers said. “It’s not overflowing now, so they do have that repaired.
Regarding the water quality, FUD project engineer Edwin Deyton said, “the first thing we’ve got to do is identify and correct the pipe break.
“We’re doing that at this moment,” he said around 3 p.m., Monday. “We will take some water samples upstream of
the work area and downstream of the work area to see what pollutants or bacteria might be present in the water.”
The pollutants can be expected to be domestic sewage — “whatever gets flushed down the drain, the toilet or bathtub,” Deyton said, adding he does not have an answer as how long there is concern over the water quality.
“We’ll gather information and monitor it daily, and it will dilute as the stream flows,” he added.
