AEDC Commander lifts no drinking order Published Feb. 15, 2011 By Shawn Jacobs AEDC/PA ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- Employees at Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) may now drink the water on base. AEDC Commander, Col. Michael Panarisi, lifted a no drinking order Monday afternoon, after repeated tests found potable water on base to be free of contaminants. Colonel Panarisi imposed the no drinking/no contact with base water order when evidence of glycol was found in the potable water supply Jan. 28. The order was revised Jan. 31 to no drinking after the glycol concentration was found to be extremely low. "Our initial actions in response to the trace levels of glycol discovered in our drinking water are complete, and, after literally millions of gallons of flushing and hundreds of samples, I am confident that our water is no longer a risk," Colonel Panarisi wrote Monday in an e-mail to base personnel. "Over the weekend and throughout the day, our team has been removing signage, flushing icemakers/coffee pots, double checking the lines in the cafeterias and other common areas and have reported to me that they are ready to resume normal operations. I am lifting the no drink order effective immediately, contingent upon each building manager's completion of our routine 'return to service' actions." According to sample results, the base water supply has contained no detectable levels since Feb. 3 but the no drinking order was kept in effect as a matter of precaution.