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The initial round of water sample testing by the City of Germantown has been delayed due to an overnight power outage at the Memphis Light, Gas and Water testing lab.

A diesel fuel leak in Germantown, reported Thursday, July 20, leaked 100 gallons of fuel and contaminated 4.2 million gallons of water in the suburb the city said Friday evening.

Marketing and communications manager for the City of Germantown Jessica Comas said Saturday, July 22, that the water sample testing cannot be done due to the overnight power outage at the MLGW testing lab.

Diesel fuel leak affected 4.2 million gallons of water in Germantown

Initial results of the water sample testing were expected Saturday, but Comas said there is now no time expectation for the results. 

“We are using multiple labs to ensure that we can get test results as quickly as possible,” Comas said. “These tests take a good amount of time to process.”

The city tweeted Saturday that another 15 samples of water strategically located around each of the locations where an odor in the water was reported have been pulled for testing. Tests underway would detect any traces of diesel fuel in the samples.

Results for the first round of water sample testing have been delayed by an overnight power outage at the MLGW testing lab. Early this morning, crews pulled 15 additional samples for testing. pic.twitter.com/etWrWX11Jp

— City of Germantown (@germantowntenn) July 22, 2023

The fuel leak was reported Thursday after city residents complained of a strong odor coming from the water. Residents were advised not to drink or use the tap water except for flushing toilets. 

The city said it discovered a generator powering a water plant was leaking following a power outage from a Tuesday storm.

The leak was quickly stopped, the city said Friday, and the Germantown Fire Department and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation were called in to ensure the response met their standards.

The city said information for homeowners on how they can make sure their own water lines are clean will be provided once the system is clear.

Residents are urged to sign up to receive text notifications from the Germantown Alert system. To opt in, visit Germantown-TN.gov/alert or text “alert” to 901-979-9955. Those who register via text must be sure to complete the registration process by clicking the link in the text reply.