Water Commission Tests Negative For Thallium

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Annual tests on the drinking water distributed by the Greeneville Water Commission have shown no traces of thallium, which can in some forms lead to illness and even death, according to a testing expert for the agency.
James Jeffers, a lab analyst for the water commission, said in an email response to questions that the annual tests going back to 2005 show no detectable levels of thallium.
He said the tests are conducted in the first quarter of the year by an independent testing company.
Results provided by the commission show that that from 2005 through 2015 the test results showed thallium levels were Beneath Detectable Limits (BDL)
From 2016 to this year the results were ND or no detectable level.
Experts say an ND test result does not mean there is none of the contaminant in the sample but if there is it is below the limit set for the test.
Jeffers said the tests conducted are valid for as little as one part per billion, substantially below the 2 parts per billion limit on thallium in a drinking water supply.
The concern over thallium in the region's drinking water arose because of test results submitted late last year to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation by US Nitrogen, which draws millions of gallons of water from the Nolichucky for use in the production of ammonium nitrate and other chemicals.
Those tests showed that the water being discharged back into the river by the Midway company had 10.3 parts per billion of thallium, more than three times the allowable level of 2 parts per billion in drinking water.
TDEC spokeswoman Kim Schofinski stated earlier this week that the agency would be conducting its own tests to monitor thallium levels but the agency did not believe there was any threat to public health.
"TDEC will be conducting our own sampling out of an abundance of caution," Schofinski wrote in an email response to questions.

TEST RESULTS



Date sample collected: Results:
2-7-05 BDL
2-7-06 BDL
2-7-07 BDL
2-6-08 BDL
2-5-09 BDL
2-9-10 BDL
2-8-11 BDL
1-11-12 BDL
1-9-13 BDL
1-15-14 BDL
1-7-15 BDL
2-3-16 ND
1-4-17 ND
1-3-18 ND
1-3-19 ND
Source: Greeneville Water Commission