Residents say Maynardville creek is making some sick

Residents say Maynardville creek is making some sick

By KRISTYN CADDELL
6 News Reporter 

MAYNARDVILLE (WATE) -- The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) is looking into a complaint that Bull Run Creek is being polluted by wastewater from the city of Maynardville.

TDEC says so far it has received the complaint, but hasn't sent investigators to the creek.

However, there's growing concern from residents and former residents that the creek is to blame for several people getting the E. coli bacteria.

From the surface, Bull Run Creek looks and sounds like any other.

But former resident Truman Ailor said, "I was afraid it was going to kill me and it almost did."

Ailor said he almost died after falling into the creek, but it wasn't the fall he blames for nearly taking his life. "I started getting sick and the well at my house went bad and I ended up in Vanderbilt with E. coli."

Ailor said after weeks of being sick with an E. coli infection he finally recovered, but he moved away from the area and filed a lawsuit.

In the lawsuit, Ailor alleged the city of Maynardville was dumping an excessive amount of raw sewage into the creek, which runs right through the plant.

Ailor said that's what gave him the E. coli infection. "I was afraid to even take my grand kids to my house. I was afraid they'd catch it."

He also said he's not surprised that a new complaint has been filed regarding the same allegations.

The complainant wants to remain anonymous due to fears for personal safety. This person also developed an E. coli infection and says others have too, but they're too scared to come forward.

It's been several years since Ailor and his family moved away from the area and even though he feels safe, he's worried for the health of those still living near the creek.

Officials with the city of Maynardville had no comment on the 6 News report.

We were able to get a copy of a letter sent to TDEC by the city.

It claims a "chlorination malfunction" occurred between October 16 and October 19 and that prevented the city's wastewater from being properly disinfected.

According to the letter, the equipment was repaired as soon as the malfunction was discovered.

According to TDEC, chlorination is merely the final step in the sewage treatment process.  The wastewater released had been treated by other means as well.

Without chlorination, TDEC says bacteria levels could rise temporarily, but it wouldn't result in long-term damage.

TDEC also says there's no evidence to support the allegations regarding the dumping of sewage into the creek.

6 News was able to speak with Robert Kurtz, the attorney who filed Truman Ailor's lawsuit on Bull Run Creek.

Kurtz said he's not surprised about the new allegations.

"Our case was ultimately dismissed because the court believed the city did the best it could at the time and there had not been any recent violations and we disagreed with that because we had documented a number of violations in the months leading up to the lawsuit," Kurtz explains.

"I  think health problems will continue to appear and property values will continue to diminish.  The city is capable of fixing it if TDEC oversees it and pursues enforcement like they should," Kurtz said.

The attorney said his case went all the way to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals before being dismissed in 2004.