The Volunteer State, as Tennessee is fondly known, gets its water from a variety of sources. Lakes, reservoirs, streams, rivers, and underground aquifers all contribute to the task of supplying Tennessee residents with enough water each day.
Tennessee attributes the majority of its water pollution problems to urban development. While around 6 million residents statewide may not seem like a big number, it is impressive to note that the state has undergone rapid urbanization of certain areas to the tune of a 14 percent population increase between 1990 and 2000.
Urban expansion impacts water sources more significantly than almost any other outside influence. Many factors including concrete not allowing water to absorb before running off, excessive fertilizer use to maintain lawns and gardens, and the removal of buffers that protect watersheds impact the quality of water flowing into treatment facilities around the state.
The state also experiences other negative influences on the water supply like agriculture and industrial pollution. All of these challenges combine to make providing clean water to its residents a challenge.
Common Water Problems by City
With such residential expansion combining with typical agricultural and industrial contaminants impacting its water sources, Tennessee cities aggressively treat their water using filtration and chemical methods.
Each city obtains its water from different sources, meaning each area faces unique challenges. However, natural resources tend to introduce similar problems to water supplies, meaning cities may experience some of the same difficulties, as well.
City | Water Source | Common Problems | Typical Symptoms |
|---|---|---|---|
Nashville | Cumberland River | Hard Water
| Dry Skin Limescale Poor Taste |
Memphis | Memphis Aquifer | Hard Water (locally) | Limescale Dry Skin |
Knoxville | Tennessee River | Hard Water Aggressive Treatment | Dry Skin Limescale Poor Taste |
Nashville
The Cumberland River provides Nashville residents with the water entering their homes and places of business. Industrial and agriculture influences lead to opportunities for pollutants to enter the watershed.
Nashville aggressively treats water leaving its facilities before sending it on to the public. This allows them to provide water that is safe for consumption after being faced with so many potential contaminants.
This treatment makes the water fine for drinking and bathing but can lead to poor taste or smell. Often, this comes from the chlorination processes used during treatment.
Hard water also occurs due to the water absorbing minerals as it travels from source to tap. Hard water is not dangerous but can lead to poor performing appliances and dry, itchy skin after bathing.
Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee sits directly beside the mighty Mississippi River. This must be their main source of water, right? Wrong. The Memphis Aquifer supplies the city with its fresh water for drinking, bathing, cooking, and other uses.
Water entering the aquifer is filtered naturally by seeping through layers of sand and clay capable of removing most contaminants and impurities. Over 150 wells pull water from the aquifer (comprised of multiple small aquifers) to provide Memphis residents plenty of high-quality water.
The water in Memphis is considered some of the best tasting in the country, receiving awards for its “sweetness”. Many breweries took root and made their homes in the area to take advantage of the water supply.
Some homes may experience hard water caused by mineral absorption that occurs once the water has been pulled from the aquifer. This can lead to dry, itchy skin after bathing in the water.
Knoxville
The Tennessee River is vulnerable to multiple contaminants including industrial and agricultural runoff, as well as sewage overflows. Knoxville sources its water from this river and faces a grand challenge to make it clean.
Fortunately, modern filtration and treatment technologies allow the citizens of Knoxville, Tennessee to enjoy safe drinking water. However, some of the techniques used to accomplish cleanliness can lead to poor tasting or foul-smelling water.
Chlorination is often the culprit for poor tastes and smells. Residents may experience intermittent problems with this as water needs to be treated differently at different times.
Hard water resulting from mineral absorption is also common in Knoxville. Impacts from hard water include dry skin after bathing, limescale build-up on faucets, and reduced efficiency in appliances.