Comprehensive Overview of Water Quality in Tennessee

Tennessee has rich and varied water resources that mainly include Tennessee River, Cumberland River, numerous lakes and reservoirs such as Norris lake and Kentucky lake. The water of the state is utilized in different industries namely agriculture, tourism, power generation and recreation. The waters of Tennessee are also important in municipal water supply as they are the source of drinking water of millions of people.

Major role in monitoring the quality of the waters lies in Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). TDEC, together with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regularly assess overall water quality and create annual reports such as the so-called "Integrated Water Quality Report." These tests assist in spotting the tendencies, locating the pollution sources, and directing the processes of improving and conserving the water resources of the state.

Although Tennessee is endowed with a lot of fresh water sources, water quality problems as evidenced by agricultural runoffs, industrial pollution and changes created by climate changes are jeopardizing the wellbeing of rivers, lakes and groundwater in the state. Tennessee has among others created programs that will help solve these problems through policy enforcement exercise, environmental restoration programs and campaign programs.

Tennessee Water Quality Challenges

1. Nutrient Pollution and Eutrophication

Phosphorus and nitrogen are two major water pollution sources in Tennessee, and these nutrients have been associated with impairing the overall water quality. The major sources of these pollutants are agricultural runoff, left-over waters (wastewater) and urban storms water. Presence of high concentrations of nutrients amounts to eutrophication which causes nutrient-rich water to support undue growth of algae, resulting in shortage of oxygen and destruction of aquatic life.

Eutrophication is particularly common in the Tennessee River and in a number of reservoirs, including the Chickamauga Lake and the Watts Bar Lake. The situation is worsened by the fact that farmers use fertilizers, which find their way to the waters bodies through run off. To address nutrient pollution in Tennessee, farmers have been engaged to use agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) and control stormwater so that the nutrient content is lowered.

2. Contamination by industrial and Hazardous Waste

Tennessee is also rich in industrial history and major industries include mining, manufacturing and chemical industry. Such operations have in the past led to the pollution of water bodies by heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and other harmful chemicals. Large industrial facilities located on rivers such as the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers have threatened the quality of water over various years.

The state is also ahead in regulation of industrial pollution by programs such as Tennessee Pollution Discharge Elimination System (TPDES), which monitors wastewater release by industrial and other municipal structures. Nevertheless, the problem of hazardous waste sites and chemical spills still remains a problem especially in certain regions of the urban areas and industries. The superfund program and other cleanup-related federal programs have assisted the state in its attempts to curb the level of contamination.

3. Pathogen Contamination

Another urgent problem in Tennessee, particularly in the countryside and places where the infrastructure is old, is contamination by pathogens. Unsafe drinking water conditions and recreational water conditions can be caused by bacteria that leak into the water, such as E. coli, usually introduced by animal waste, failing septic systems or waste water overflows. Areas close to the agricultural areas which have the trend of releasing manure and fertilizers into the water are prone to get contaminated.

Besides this, numerous rivers and lakes that exist in Tennessee used as recreational areas are subject to contamination by the pathogens when there is urban runoff and/or breakdown of the sewer systems. The state has introduced more vigilant policies regarding wastewater management and testing of the water regularly to know the levels of pathogens present and making advisories in such circumstances.

4. Sediment and Erosion Pollution

A major issue affecting Tennessee is erosion and sedimentation; it is an issue especially of those areas where deforestation, construction, and farming are common. The soil of Tennessee has the tendency of depositing into the rivers and streams, thus lowering the clarity of the water, lowering the quality of the drinking water, and affecting the habitat of the water.

In response to this, the state has come up with laws and initiatives that have been focused at regulating the erosion caused by various processes such as construction sites and mining works especially those around the range of the Appalachian Mountains and Cumberland Plateau. The Tennessee department of environment and conservation (TDEC) regulates policies regarding sediment control at construction sites and through its activities, advocates sustainable land management practices.

State and Local Efforts to Improve Water Quality

1. Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)

Tennessee has the activities under Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program that offers loans with low interest in order to fund water quality improvement projects. These initiatives facilitate updating wastewater infrastructure, nonpoint source control and stormwater management. The CWSRF provides funding to local governments and municipalities, thus assisting them in assuring the ability of the community to renovate their water treatment plants and minimize the amount of pollutants that get into water systems.

CWSRF funding has been utilized in several projects in the state of Tennessee such as the upgrade of the wastewater treatment plants, rehabilitation of the sewer lines as well as enhancement of the stormwater system. The money has been used to enhance the state of water quality in most of the state rivers, lakes and streams.

2. Best Management Practices (BMPs) of agriculture

Agriculture is a large operation in Tennessee and agricultural runoff has been the major cause of water pollution in the state. To address this, the Tennessee department of agriculture, among other state departments, has been collaborating with farmers to introduce the Best management practices (BMPs) that minimize the loss of nutrients through run-offs, enhance the retention of water, and not to mention soil erosion. These include good nutrient management, crop rotation, conservation tillage, and development of a set of buffer strips along water ways. Tennessee does not sit by the sidelines because it provides its farmers with financial incentives and technical support to encourage them to engage in these BMPs so as to minimize the effects of their farming activities on water quality.

3. Watershed Restoration Projects

Tennessee has undertaken a great number of projects in restoration and protection of the watersheds so as to enhance the quality of its rivers and lakes. Tennessee River Basin which is one of the water systems in the state that is important has also been the target of various restoration processes that achieve to restore water quality of the basin, fish habitats and limit the effects of sedimentation. They usually undertake such projects in collaboration with the local organizations, conservation organizations as well as federal offices. The Tennessee River Basin Watershed Alliance is one of the examples of working to make the water in the river cleaner by supporting the sustainable land practices and fighting to improve pollution management.

4. Education and Involvement of the People

As a measure, the state has introduced several educative programs on the issue of water quality. The Adopt-a-Stream program in Tennessee gives its residents something to volunteer in; to check the quality of water within their streams, lakes, and rivers. This project involves the community in safeguarding the water and holds the people living near it to ensure they play active roles in conservation of their natural resources. Tennessee also supports the values of water harvesting and responsible use of water by carrying out information campaigns on water conservation through the schools and local governments. Tennessee also colludes with nonprofit organizations in conserving water and ensuring the responsible use of water.

Impact of Climate Change on Water Quality

1. Rising Temperatures and Algal Blooms

As is common in most states, Tennessee is also suffering the rising temperature cause of climate change, and that is growing the frequency and severity of algal blooms. These are the blooms that happen when the water which has been enriched with nutrients becomes warm cueing the growth of algae that may lead to the loss of oxygen in the bodies of water to an extent of causing the dead zone thus having no aquatic life. The Tennessee River and the lakes surrounding it like Norris Lake and Old Hickory Lake are especially at risk of having this problem. The state has also undertaken initiatives to inspect such bodies of water and enhance nutrient control to lower the possibility of disastrous algal blooms (HABs).

2. Flooding and Enhanced Rainfall

Climate change is another factor in Tennessee, where there are increasing events of more severe rains along with flooding, and causing more runoff to rivers and lakes. Due to flooding, wastewater treatment plants, stormwater systems might be overrun and cause contamination of water sources with debris, pathogens, and chemicals. Moreover, runoff is more likely to bring more sediment into rivers leading to poor water quality and aquatic life. The state is increasingly paying attention to the enhancement of flood control activities and green infrastructure investments to better control runoff and to safeguard water quality.

3. Drought and Reduced Water Availability

Even though Tennessee is generally characterized by excessive precipitation, it is also possible that the situation with climate change will cause an increase in droughts. This is capable of causing a shortage of water supply to agriculture, production and domestic purposes. In the regions that depend on surface water supply in the form of rivers and lakes, low water levels can lead to increasing levels of contaminants and a decrease in the ability to store water. To deal with the risk of water scarcity, Tennessee is identifying alternative sources of water such as reusing water and improving irrigation methods in order to save water-use during farming activities.

4. Influence on the Quality of Groundwater

Most of the country folk in Tennessee depend on ground water as drinking water. The quality of such kind of groundwater might be influenced by the rise of the temperature and perturbations of the rain patterns. Also, groundwater contamination due to farming and industrial processes can be enhanced by climate change in the regions that have weak aquifers.