Germantown working to move generator after water crisis
Bo Mills, Germantown director of public works, shows the path of leaked diesel foul that seeped through the ground into water treatment plant pipe during a tour on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
One year after Germantown’s water crisis, city officials are finally resolving problems they identified as the cause of diesel seeping into the system.
One promise the city made was to move the generator that contributed to the problem. Due to storms and widespread electricity outages in Germantown in July 2023, a diesel-powered generator was running the city’s water treatment plant on Southern Avenue. When an employee refilled the generator’s diesel tank, it overflowed. A hole in a pipe underground allowed diesel into the city’s underground reservoir, contaminating the city’s water system.
For a week, Germantown residents were under a no-contact water advisory.
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Abigail Warren
Abigail Warren is a lifelong resident of Shelby County and a graduate of the University of Memphis. She has worked for several local publications and covers the suburbs for The Daily Memphian.
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