Update: No gas found in Friendsville water

Tests of water samples near a water main break in Friendsville came back normal, with no elevated signs of petroleum or gas in the water.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation performed tests Monday and Tuesday. Monday's preliminary results are showing the water is within standards.

TDEC took Tuesday's samples for further testing. Those results are expected to take longer to come back.

Testing scheduled

A potential new problem bubbling up in Friendsville's water brought state officials in to run tests.

Last month we told you about contamination left behind in the groundwater from gasoline storage tanks that were removed 20 years ago, but one woman believes a water main break contaminated her drinking water.

"You can still smell it, and this is after they have been flushing this for close to three or four hours," said Karen Fortner.

Fortner says her husband discovered their water was cloudy and smelled like gasoline.

"My husband and I had already drank coffee, and I was getting ready to get showered to get ready for work, and I was concerned," said Fortner.

Sunday night, a water main broke at the corner of Main and Farnum in Friendsville, where the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation believes the groundwater is contaminated.

They think the contamination came from leaking underground storage tanks at a gas station. The station is now closed, and the tanks have been removed, but leftover contamination remains. No one responsible is now alive, so the responsibility has fallen on the state.

"Point one five foot of petroleum product floating on top of the water down there," said a contractor for Theta Technologies, as he tested the water in a monitoring well.

TDEC is investigating Fortner's concerns. They tested for gasoline vapors around her home but didn't find any. They also tested her water and water around the water main break. They also took soil samples.

Friendsville water officials say they flushed the lines Sunday night after the water main break and again Monday.

"They are going to put in a request for drinking water, and the thing is, that will work fine for drinking water, but they said we shouldn't shower in it either," said Fortner about her meeting with TDEC representatives.

TDEC says Fortner's was the only complaint they had about an odor in the water, but TDEC is also checking other homes.

Gerald Edgell, who owns property next to Fortner's, has voiced concerns about the problem in the past and feels he's finally seeing progress.

"I knew that they were trying to get the money appropriated to put the recovery system in place. They are working as fast as they can," said Edgell.

Local water officials believe drinking water is safe in Friendsville.