Germantown employee spilled fuel, causing water crisis

Ashley Paul and Megan Fayard

2 hours ago

UPDATE: The City of Germantown said that the employee responsible for spilling diesel fuel that caused the city’s water crisis was fired.

Officials said the employee was filling the generator and spilled approximately 250 gallons of fuel on the ground.

The fuel then seeped into the soil and found its way to an underground pipe that had a hole in it, and ultimately ran into the underground reservoir.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn, — Germantown residents are still concerned and demanding answers after the city-wide water advisory has been lifted.

Thursday marks two weeks since Germantown residents were alerted not to use the water, and city leaders are set to address the public at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Germantown Performing Arts Center.

It’s expected to be a packed house, because even now, nearly a week after people were given the go-ahead to use the water again, many are still reporting the smell of fuel in the faucets. 

They say a generator used to power the Southern Avenue Water Treatment Plant spilled approximately 100 gallons of diesel fuel into the reservoir, making the water unsafe to drink, bathe in, or cook with. 

City leaders told the public through a prerecorded YouTube video last week that a small hole was found in one of the underground pipes that pump clean water to the reservoir. 

Residents say it doesn’t add up. They question, if the generator leaked fuel, how did it penetrate the ground and find its way through the small breach to contaminate most of the city’s water supply? 

So many people have reached out and said that they still don’t feel safe using the water in Germantown. 

In the most recent round of testing, all samples came back clear except for one area. Due to the contaminated area, residents questioned the safety of the water for the rest of the city.

The mayor, along with the city administrator, fire chief, and other city officials are expected to listen to these concerns and answer questions from the public.