According to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), more than 500 of the state's streams are polluted with E. coli and siltation; many of the streams in question are located in Bradley County.

TDEC has conducted tests over more than 60,500 miles of streams and tributaries throughout the state. The organization's resulting published reports state that more than 5,000 miles of these waterways contain E. coli.

Insufficient septic tank systems and poor sewer collection are largely to blame for the contamination. In Bradley County, though, much of the water pollution comes from farms' livestock waste runoff.

Bradley County engineer and storm water director Sandra Knight said that in the past the county has been responsible for testing streams and tributaries in the fringe area, with the city handling municipal area testing. Beginning this year, however, Bradley County must test all streams and tributaries of impaired streams that lie outside city limits.

Bradley County currently operates under a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit, but it is in the final year of a five-year cycle. Stream testing throughout the remainder of 2007 will go toward acquiring a new five-year permit.

Approximately 40 to 50 percent of Bradley County streams are impaired, said Knight and county engineering technician Shane Ware. County staff must walk along hundreds of miles of streams to conduct the necessary tests.

And the challenges do not stop there. The county presently employs two storm water technicians--Ware and Heath Owens, who will be leaving his position for a new one in Chattanooga, Tenn., at week's end. And financially, Knight's storm water and engineering budgets were recently cut by $20,000; some of this money would have funded part-time assistance with stream and road testing. As revenue fees come in from testing, the county expects to put some expense money toward the hiring of part-time help. If testing cannot be completed, the county faces the risk of state penalization.

Source: Cleveland Daily Banner