Huntingdon Public Works Dept. responds to ‘brown water’ concerns

March 21, 2024

Kyle Peppers,

HUNTINGDON, Tenn. — Last year, we spoke with residents regarding their concerns about water discoloration in the Huntingdon and Carroll County area.

Photo submitted by a WBBJ viewer shows water appearance at a local school.

This month, several residents have once again reached out to us after experiencing more “brown water.”

Tuesday, the Town of Huntingdon Public Works Department issued a statement to explain the discoloration and address why no boil water notice has been issued.

The statement reads:

All utilities are required by law to drain and inspect our storage tanks every 5 years. In refilling the tank, the water has become “stirred up” again in the distribution system. Iron naturally occurs in our raw water. It is filtered out by oxidation, coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration. The iron (rust) which precipitates off of the cast iron pipes dissolves into the water. A “Boil Water Notice” is NOT issued because boiling this water would only concentrate the iron. We are flushing the system. We advise any customers with brown water to let their water run. If you have any further questions, feel free to call (731)986-2900.

In December, Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation announced a $2 million loan for water improvements in the Town of Huntingdon. You can read more about that here.