By JAMIE LYNN DROHAN
6 News Reporter
OAK RIDGE (WATE) - Anderson County, home to some of our nation's most advanced technology, has hundreds of residents without clean drinking water. But that's about to change.
County officials are working with officials from B&W Y-12 to make changes.
At first glance, samples of well water appear to be just fine. When compared to bottled water, the color is the same.
However, if you smell it you can tell it's not something you want to drink.
On Thursday, B&W Y-12 presented Anderson County with a check for $100,000 to use in its efforts to bring clean water to residents.
Officials say past and current mining has played a significant role in the water quality.
Bessie Braden says her well water smelled like rotten eggs, and you could barely see through it.
"We live in a mining area, strip mines and underground mines, so the mining place, they helped us because they connected the mining water to our water that was in the wells, so that's why," Braden says.
Mike Harmening says he just recently found out his local well water contained E. coli. "The water was clear so I just assumed it was okay, and there's no taste."
After the $100,000 is spent, there will still be 250 homes without clean water in Anderson County.
Currently, residents in these areas either purchase their drinking water or travel to get it from area springs.
In order to finish the clean water project, county officials say they still need to raise $350,000.
Anderson County Mayor Rex Lynch says the $100,000 donation from B&W Y-12 will mean 99 percent of county homes will have clean water. But he says completing the last one percent of homes will be tough.
"There's not really any federal or grant money that's available for these areas because it's scattered. It's five homes here, 20 homes here, four homes there. It's difficult to go out and find grant funding for that," Mayor Lynch explains.
Anderson County officials are turning to area businesses for donations to help complete the project. For more information on how to donate, visit the clean water section of the Anderson County website.
