Why is some of the Town’s water discolored?

  • Natural Minerals such as calcium and iron build up inside cast iron and galvanized pipes overtime.
  • We have some galvanized and cast iron pipes in the ground but many homes built before 1980 have those types of pipes in their homes.
  • While 99% of our customers aren’t experiencing any discolored water issues, we understand that several are.  Of the customers experiencing issues, the majority of those issues are due to galvanized plumbing in their homes.  DWMF has some cast iron and galvanized plumbing in our system as well, which is contributing to the discoloration in a few areas.

    What are we doing to help alleviate the issue?  In addition to flushing our mains, we have allowed and encouraged customers, who have called in with concerns and received approval, to flush inside their homes; we are adjusting the water bills to average usage so that the customers are not bearing the cost for the flushing.  As a long-term aid, we have formulated a Replacement Plan to rid all galvanized and cast iron pipe in our system. (The map below shows the Replacement Plan.)    Phase I of the plan was completed in October 2017. Phase II, completed in January 2019 and Phase IV began in November 2019 and was completed in 2021.  Phase III (DWMF’s Internal Replacement) remains in progress.

Construction Phase & Customer Concern Map

Replacement of the cast iron and galvanized water lines in the DWMF system is in process.  The following is the implementation plan:

  • Phase I:  completed October 2017 by Brockwell Construction
  • Phase II:  awarded to Merkel Brothers Construction
  • Phase III (Internal):  replacement construction already in progress by DWMF

Public Hearing Presentation

Water Quality Testing

In order to ensure your water is safe, we have performed additional water quality parameter testing.  Along with the regulatory bacteriological samples and chlorine tests, we have conducted lead and copper sampling (select for  LeadCopperSummary_1-10-17).  All of the tests performed exceeded the testing parameters ensuring the water is safe.  If you have any concerns about the quality of your water or the testing performed, please e-mail water@dandridgetn.gov or call 865-397-3696.

Contact Us

If you are having an issue with discolored water or a concern, please contact Mike Norton (865) 397-3696 ext. 104 or Tana Benson (865) 397-3696 ext. 103 or e-mail water @dandridgetn.gov.