The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) is asking the public to temporarily limit water usage for non-essential purposes as areas in Tennessee’s southeastern counties face extreme drought conditions.
Residents who receive water from the following public utilities are advised to limit their use until drought conditions subside:
- Fall Creek Falls Utility District – Van Buren County
- Pikeville Water System – Bledsoe County
- Dunlap Water System – Sequatchie County
- Cagel-Fredonia Utility District – Sequatchie County
- TN American Sequatchie Valley Water System – Marion County
- Griffith Creek Utility District – Marion County
- Big Creek Utility District – Grundy County
- Tracy City Water System – Grundy County
- Monteagle Public Utility Board – Grundy County
- Sewanee Utility District – Franklin County
Many of these public water systems are experiencing difficulties in meeting customer demands, but they have been coordinating efforts to share resources to ensure continued drinking water services.
Non-essential water uses include:
- watering of lawns, gardens, trees, shrubs, etc.;
- watering of athletic fields;
- washing sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, patios, or any other hard surfaces except for sanitary or safety purposes;
- non-commercial and commercial washing of motor vehicles, trailers or boats;
- use of water for dust control or construction compaction; or
- firefighter training.
Tennessee’s southeastern counties have been classified by the U.S. Drought Monitor as experiencing either severe, extreme or exceptional drought conditions. The National Weather service has indicated that precipitation in these areas is as much as 16 inches below normal. No significant precipitation is predicted for the remainder of 2016. The lack of rainfall has resulted in declining surface water and ground water levels across the region.
For additional guidance on how you can conserve water, visit http://wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/ or https://www3.epa.gov/region1/eco/drinkwater/water_conservation_residents.html or contact your local utility provider.