STREAM CONTAMINATION IN THE CITIES OF MILLERSVILLE AND GOODLETTSVILLE, TENNESSEE

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has placed several of the Cumberland River’s tributaries in the cities of Millersville and Goodlettsville, Tennessee on the 303(d) list. The 303(d) list is designed to locate impaired waters and keep them from being used for municipal supply; only by identifying and implementing controls to reduce pollutants to acceptable levels may the water source be removed from the list. Lumsley Fork, Slater’s Creek and Mansker’s Creek have E.coli levels that exceed the EPA’s maximum contaminant level. E. coli contaminates surface and groundwaters from sources including sewage systems, septic systems, and agriculture. Slater’s Creek and Lumsley Fork have several locations with exposed pipes and sewage drains, as well as a few locations with an excessive amount of trash or dead animals. Initially, observations of color, odor, and canopy cover, as well as pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature were recorded at several locations on each of these streams. In our study, streamflow measurements and stream piezometers will determine if the underlying aquifers are at risk of E.coli contamination. Additional water sampling, including nitrates, total dissolved solids, and E.coli will provide further contaminate source information. Our findings will help locate the sources of stream contamination and initiate the clean-up process in order to allow recreational use of the streams.