NASHVILLE, Tenn. — People should avoid all bodies of water affected by extreme flooding in upper East Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation warned Wednesday.
It issued a temporary water contact advisory telling people to avoid surface waters like the Nolichucky, French Broad, Pigeon, Doe and Watauga rivers. The department said wastewater treatment plants were compromised by the flooding and temporarily could not treat sewage before it enters the water.
The department also said sewer lines may have been severed or damaged, letting raw sewage enter streams. Individual septic systems could also be compromised across the region, letting sewage enter main waterways…