ALEXANDRIA, Tenn. (WTVF) — The town of Alexandria faces $136,593.80 in combined penalties from two separate state enforcement actions over its drinking water and wastewater systems.
The state recently issued a penalty of $130,103.80 for problems with the town's wastewater system. The town has appealed it saying the fine would cause extreme financial hardship.
An earlier order involved drinking water violations and a $6,490 penalty. These problems were brought to light after my reporting in 2025 and 2024 about issues with the town's drinking water.
In a March 2025 order, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation found that at times between 2021 and 2024, the town's drinking water exceeded safety limits for Total Haloacetic Acids — a chemical byproduct of the disinfection process — the water department missed required bacteriological and chlorine residual testing, and failed to notify residents when it should have.
In a separate March 2026 order — appealed by the town on April 22 — the violations appear to stem from faulty equipment within the wastewater system, according to the town's appeal. The town blames former contractor Rich Potter and his company, Utility Maintenance Service LLC. Potter's contract was terminated in July 2025.
The town is asking for 120 additional days to address the violations, saying it still lacks critical equipment needed to monitor its wastewater treatment system.
We’ll continue following the town’s appeal and what comes next for Alexandria’s water systems.
Previous reporting:
'Where is all this money going?' People in Alexandria are paying $400 for water they say is cloudy and brown
Your concerns about drinking water in the Smith Utility District led us to the source
It's has been a dry spring for us. Nashville is over 6 inches below normal for rainfall for the year with Clarksville over a 9 inches deficit. Kim Rafferty went to a nursery to get a couple of tips that may be useful for you.
- Lelan Statom
