Woods health warning lifted, sampling continues

  • Published
  • By Joel Fortner
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  Officials at the Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center Monday ended the warning restricting swimming, wading and skiing on Arnold Air Force Base's Woods Reservoir since water sampling indicates E. coli levels are back within allowable levels at lake recreation areas. 

Sampling at some non-recreation areas do still indicate high E. coli levels, and will continued to be monitored. 

Base officials urge lake users to be cautious and not drink untreated water from the lake. Any fish caught in Woods should be washed and fully cooked. 

Bacteria levels will be routinely monitored at recreation areas throughout the swimming season, which is the annual standard procedure. 

As a result of recently discovering high E. coli levels during the off-peak season, monitoring will be expanded to include the off-season. 

AEDC increased monitoring of water quality on Woods Reservoir as a result of the spill of raw sewage in Monteagle, Tenn., which the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation determined last week to not be the source of E. coli in Woods Reservoir. Rather, TDEC determined the source to be bovine. 

Address any questions to the AEDC Public Affairs Office at (931) 454-4204 or (931) 581-1172.