Tennessee’s rivers, lakes and streams are seeing increased growth of algae and other plants that leave the water looking and smelling murky and pose a health threat to humans, aquatic life, cattle and even pets. The culprit – a large list of growing threats from urban and agricultural runoff, municipal and private wastewater discharges, animal operations, aerial deposition, and a reduction in natural filters like wetlands.

“The extra nutrients that are going into Center Hill Reservoir are stimulating the growth of cyanobacteria that can produce taste and odor problems that give the water coming from our faucets a musty, earthy smell,” said Justin Murdock, director of the Center for the Management, Utilization and Protection of Water Resources at Tennessee Tech University. “They can also produce nasty toxins, including neurotoxins and liver toxins. We see cattle and dog deaths from drinking contaminated surface water in Tennessee every year from these toxins.”

To address this issue, Tech’s Water Center recently worked with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and the Tennessee Nutrient Reduction Task Force to gather professionals, policymakers and researchers for a Tennessee Nutrient Summit on Tennessee Tech’s campus.

“Tennessee Tech has really taken a lead on the issue of nutrient pollution in Tennessee through the Water Center,” said Tania Datta, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Tech. “We are leading the state in collaboration with our partners toward better nutrient management and reduction.”

The daylong summit, themed “Weaving a Stronger Net to Protect Our Surface Waters,” brought together representatives from agriculture, stormwater management, wastewater treatment, conservation groups and state agencies to share strategies for reducing nitrogen and phosphorus in Tennessee’s waters.

TDEC Commissioner David Salyers delivered the keynote address, acknowledging the importance of the work of the Tennessee Nutrient Reduction Task Force and all partners in the room. TDEC convenes the task force, which includes representatives from academia, state and local agencies, wastewater treatment plant operators, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations. Tech has been an active partner in that effort since its inception five years ago.

Summit sessions focused on nature-based solutions, agricultural practices, municipal success stories, water quality monitoring and watershed management. Speakers included representatives from TDEC, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Tennessee Valley Authority, The Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, multiple municipalities, and multiple universities including Tennessee Tech, UT Extension, Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Mississippi, focusing on applying innovative nutrient reduction strategies.

“A lot of times during these types of meetings, you are just listening to a presentation and there’s not a lot of time to talk to each other and make connections,” Murdock said. “We planned to allow substantial time for those interactions at this event, and I think that was a big success connecting partners and exchanging ideas.”

Tech undergraduate students and Water Center staff helped with logistics, registration and event materials, gaining exposure to a professional network and experience in assembling an event with many moving parts. Several Tech alumni who now work in the area of nutrient management also attended.

“To solve the problem, one of the things we need is more dialogue,” Datta said. “Those of us who were at the conference all know about the issues with nutrient pollution, but through the summit, it was highlighted that we lack in the area of involving and educating citizens. We do some outreach, but more needs to be done to better involve people outside of our group about the issue with nutrient pollution and why they should care about it.”

“This event helped people get the bigger picture of nutrient pollution across the state,” Murdock added. “Everybody’s focused on their sector, or in their county or in their regulatory area, and seeing what is going on in the rest of the state and in other sectors helps us see the bigger picture of what’s going on and hopefully get a better idea about how we tackle this together.”

Murdock concluded that the event also helped Tech connect to state partners, and praised TDEC personnel including Karina Bynum, Crystal Warren and Sarah Moore, as well as Kathy Hawes from TVA, as being an “integral part of the summit planning committee and making this event happen.”

For more information on the Water Center or to get involved, contact Murdock at [email protected] or Datta at [email protected].