POWELL, TENN. — Hallsdale-Powell Utility District said it has resolved a brown water incident in the Powell, Tennessee, community that occurred during construction work tied to the Interstate 75 and Emory Road interchange project. The utility cautioned that similar issues could recur until a waterline relocation is complete.

Some residents in the Powell community saw brown water flowing from their taps. The incident occurred while crews worked to put a new water line into service as part of the I-75 and Emory Road interstate exchange updates.

"This was an isolated incident that occurred while working to put a new water line into service being relocated due to the I-75 @ Emory Road Interstate Exchange updates. At this time, this issue has been resolved, and we have not been notified of any further issues." Hallsdale-Powell Utility District said.

The utility said it could not guarantee that brown water issues would not recur until the waterline relocation was completed, and it encouraged customers to report any water issues immediately. The district also said it would continue to monitor the situation and put preventative measures in place.

"Hallsdale Powell will continue to monitor and put preventative measures in place to help control and prevent these issues. Until completion of the waterline relocation, we are unable to guarantee this issue does not arise again. We encourage customers to reach out to us immediately if they experience any issues with their water." the utility said.

Deborah Morrissey, a Powell resident, and her husband noticed the brown water while watering their plants. The couple contacted the utility to report the discoloration and were told that nearby construction was impacting the water lines. The couple reported that they now have clear water, and the utility said it would adjust Morrissey's utility bill if it is higher than her normal usage.

Morrissey said the utility should improve how it communicates with residents about such incidents. "How they manage it would be the most important thing. And I would ask that the communication be better with the community, provide more information when we call in, maybe some proactive notices on the Facebook for Hallsdale-Powell, those kinds of things, because communication goes a long way," she said.