‘It’s rancid:’ Chattanooga Residents Raise a Stink Over a Persistent, Smelly Leak

Written by HERE News

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Chattanooga residents are up in arms and demanding action over a persistent leak that has been plaguing their neighborhood for months. What they initially believed to be a mere nuisance has turned out to be a potential health hazard, releasing an unpleasant ‘rancid’ smell that they claim to be sewage.

Residents Demand Action

Many residents living on the leak-affected street have expressed their concerns to reporters from HERE News Network, showing them disturbing photos and sharing accounts of countless attempts to alert city officials and the local utility company, the Tennessee American Water Company (TAWC) to the issue. The response, they claim, leaves much to be desired.

Frustrations Mount Over Lethargy

Among these concerned voices is resident Denise Kennedy, who has been one of the driving forces behind the attempts to get the issue addressed. “The sewage smell when there’s no breeze, it’s rancid,” she commented, detailing her multiple attempts to get both sides to see the urgency of the situation. Kennedy claims there has been a significant amount of buck-passing between the city and TAWC. She said, “They each say it’s the other person’s responsibility. But my thing is, it’s sewage and it needs to be fixed. Pets, kids, they shouldn’t be in this.”

The City and TAWC Respond

After several attempts to reach out to city officials and the TAWC, statements were finally made by both parties. The city’s wastewater team confirmed that this appeared to be an issue specifically with TAWC’s water line rather than a sewer line. In response, TAWC claimed they’d already repaired a water service line in April and had recently identified a different leak to be addressed within the week; both involving water service rather than any problematic sewer leaks.

Residents Remained Skeptical

Understandably, these responses haven’t gone over well with residents, particularly with Denise Kennedy who said, “I’m standing here looking at water.” Despite insistence from TAWC that the issue had been dealt with, Kennedy found evidence to the contrary.

Hope On the Horizon?

While skepticism among residents continues, a team from TAWC was observed working on the area where the leak had previously occurred. Time will tell if this action will bring the resolution that Chattanooga residents have been waiting for. It remains a testament to the power of the people in highlighting a community issue and their determination to see it resolved.