Water Service Outages in Tennessee by City
The most common health-based drinking water violation in Tennessee since 2015 involves contaminant averages over the limit; 102 of 446 systems have had at least one violation.
Tennessee drinking water record
Busiest year: 2017 (61 violations). Counted by the year the violation period began. Source: EPA SDWIS.
- Community water systems: 446 active systems serve about 7,875,875 people. 167 of them (37%) serve 3,300 people or fewer; 155 draw mainly on groundwater and 256 on surface water.
- Health-based violations since 2015: 393, at 102 systems (23% of all systems). That share is 12th of 50 states (1 = lowest).
- Most common problems: contaminant averages over the limit (307); surface water treatment (24); monthly turbidity (21). Source: EPA SDWIS
- Largest system: Metro Water Services, about 778,153 people, with 0 health-based violations since 2015. Source: EPA SDWIS
- Housing age: the median Tennessee home was built in 1987 (US 1980). Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 (table B25035)
- Storm damage to water service: NOAA storm narratives mention water mains, boil water notices or lost water service in 9 episodes in Tennessee since 2015. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
- May 2, 2025, Putnam (lightning): “A water main line was struck by lightning south of Monterey, causing the loss of 500,000 gallons of water.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
- May 9, 2024, Davidson (flood): “The river gauge at the Omohundro Water Plant (OMOT1) measured a peak of 41.37 feet during this event.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
| System | People served | Main source | Health violations since 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Water Services | 778,153 | Surface water | 0 |
| Memphis Light, Gas, & Water | 659,500 | Groundwater | 0 |
| Knoxville Utilities Board - Kub | 254,671 | Surface water | 0 |
| Clarksville Water Department | 251,864 | Surface water | 0 |
| Consolidated U.D. of Rutherford Co | 221,871 | Surface water | 1 |
| Tennessee American Water | 207,046 | Surface water | 0 |
Source: EPA SDWIS.
Tennessee is 4th of 9 (1 = lowest share). Source: EPA SDWIS.
Checked September 2026.
Who to call in Tennessee, city by city
10 Tennessee cities on this site and the water utility for each. What to do while you wait is in our water service outage guide.
- Nashville Metro Water Services
- Memphis Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW)
- Knoxville Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB)
- Chattanooga Tennessee American Water
- Clarksville Clarksville Gas & Water
- Murfreesboro Murfreesboro Water Resources
- Franklin City of Franklin Water Management
- Johnson City Johnson City Water & Sewer Services
- Jackson Jackson Energy Authority
- Bartlett City of Bartlett Water
Frequently asked questions
Is there a water service outage in Tennessee right now?
Possibly: 1 report from Tennessee on this site in the last 24 hours. Open your city to see where.
How many public water systems are in Tennessee?
EPA records list 446 active community water systems in Tennessee, serving about 7,875,875 people. 37% serve 3,300 people or fewer.
How common are drinking water violations in Tennessee?
Since 2015, 102 of 446 community water systems in Tennessee (23%) have had at least one health-based violation, 393 in total.
What is the largest water system in Tennessee?
Metro Water Services, which EPA records list as serving about 778,153 people.
Report counts are user-submitted; other figures name their official source. How our data works
Cities in Tennessee with Water Service Outages Information
Bartlett
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 59,227
City of Bartlett Water
Chattanooga
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 181,099
Tennessee American Water
Clarksville
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 166,722
Clarksville Gas & Water
Franklin
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 83,654
City of Franklin Water Management
Jackson
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 68,949
Jackson Energy Authority
Johnson City
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 70,945
Johnson City Water & Sewer Services
Knoxville
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 190,740
Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB)
Memphis
1 report in the last 24 hours · pop. 651,073
Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW)
Murfreesboro
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 152,769
Murfreesboro Water Resources
Nashville
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 670,820
Metro Water Services