RIDGETOP, TN — An apparent utility line mix-up has caused sewage to flow into clean drinking water pipes serving this community, according to a September 15 NewsChannel5.com report.
The mix-up, which occurred in July but was not identified until September, affected 1,047 Ridgetop residents. Residents of the community, located a short distance north of Nashville, were notified of the situation on September 12, according to a September 13 report by The Tennessean.
Some residents told NewsChannel 5 that drinking the sewer water has caused various illnesses, ranging from headaches to sores, and they expressed anger at the delay in notification.
Ridgetop, which is in Robertson and Davidson counties, is served by the White House Utility District. The district, which offered no explanation as to why the situation occurred for so long without notice, recently issued a letter explaining how a Metro Nashville sewer line was mistakenly hooked up to a clean water pipe flowing into Ridgetop by a plumbing contractor, the report said.
Bill Thompson, general manager of the White House Utility District, told The Tennessean that tests have shown that the water still meets safety standards and routine checks will be performed to ensure water quality. The utility began receiving customer complaints about debris in the water in July, which had alerted the utility to a potential problem.
Danny Weeks, assistant director of Robertson County Schools, said the mixed-up water line feeds into the 500-student Watauga Elementary School in Ridgetop. He said the administration is having independent water tests performed despite being told the water is safe for consumption. “We’re anxious to see what the results of that test are,” Weeks told NewsChannel 5.
To view the full NewsChannel 5 report, click here.
To read The Tennessean report, click here.
For related information on this story, click here. 
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