July 27, 2023, 3:43 PMA third section of Germantown, Tennessee, was allowed to resume drinking and using tap water Thursday, however, others remain under restrictions that have now been in effect for a week after it was discovered the water supply was contaminated with diesel fuel.
Residents have been told to only use tap water for toilet flushing. The city also said that boiling water does not make it safe for use. The water was treated last Friday and the reservoirs were refilled by midday. The city then pumped water into the elevated tower to address any residue remaining in the system and samples were sent out for testing, according to the city.Some of the samples returned with traces of diesel fuel in them so the city used hydrants to flush the system again.
"There was a breach in this pipe at this location which allowed the diesel fuel in the soil to enter the reservoir. The pipe has been repaired and the contaminated soil is being removed and contained on site and will be properly disposed of as required by regulations," Mills said. Those who detected odor from their water should open a couple of cold water taps and run for 15 minutes to clear the customer service line from the main and then -- starting with what is nearest to where the water enters the building -- open each cold tap one at a time and run them for five minutes to clean that line. Both steps should then be repeated, running hot water through the taps, according to the city.Any dishes or clothing washed while the restriction was in place should be rewashed.