Update on Shoal Creek Investigation

SHOAL CREEK INVESTIGATION UPDATE JULY 21,2023

• THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (TDH) AND TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION (TDEC) CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION INTO THREE REPORTS OF ILLNESSES AMONG PEOPLE WHO VISITED SHOAL CREEK.

• RECENT WATER QUALITY MONITORING AT SHOAL CREEK SHOWED E. COLI LEVELS WITHIN ACCEPTABLE RANGES FOR RECREATION AND DO NOT INDICATE A HEALTH CONCERN.

• THE TDH INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THE ILL PERSONS VISITED PORTIONS OF THE CREEK FURTHER APART THAN IS EXPECTED FOR THEM TO BE RELATED. WE ARE CONDUCTING ADDITIONAL BACTERIAL TESTING TO CONFIRM THE GERMS ARE NOT RELATED TO THE SAME EXPOSURE.

• TESTING ON THE BACTERIA THAT CAUSED THE ILLNESSES IS ONGOING AND LED BY TDH. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO TDH AT WATERBORNE.HEALTH@TN.GOV.

• CREEKS AND STREAMS OFTEN CONTAIN SMALL AMOUNTS OF GERMS THAT CAN CAUSE ILLNESS IF SWALLOWED. SWIMMING OR PLAYING IN CREEKS AND STREAMS CAN PUT VISITORS, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, AT RISK FOR WATERBORNE ILLNESS OR INFECTION.

FOLLOW THE CDC’S GUIDANCE ON SAFE SWIMMING HERE: HTTPS://CDC.GOV/HEALTHYWATER/SWIMMING/SWIMMERS/STEPS-HEALTHY-SWIMMING.HTML.

TN DEPT HEALTH