Know what’s in your water before anyone recommends equipment.
Morristown Utilities blends Cherokee Lake water with Havely’s Spring before treating it[1]. Next door, Jefferson City’s water is very hard, listed at 205 ppm, about 12 grains per gallon[2], and wells are common across Jefferson, Grainger and Cocke counties[3]. A free in-home test shows which situation your home is in.
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Morristown Utilities draws from Cherokee Lake on the Holston River and from Havely’s Spring, a groundwater source. The two are mixed before treatment, and the utility adds a corrosion inhibitor to help keep iron, lead and copper from coming off the pipes[1]. Hamblen County is almost entirely on public water: about 1% of residents used wells in 2015[3].
| Morristown sources | Cherokee Lake/Holston River and Havely’s Spring, mixed before treatment[1]. |
|---|---|
| Morristown chlorine | Average 1.85 ppm, range 0.91–2.65 ppm (2025)[1]. |
| Morristown byproducts | Trihalomethanes 36.87 ppb (19.5–57.9); haloacetic acids 7.81 ppb[1]. |
| Morristown lead | 0 of 30 homes above the 15 ppb action level; highest result 2.87 ppb (2023 sampling)[1]. |
| Morristown PFAS (UCMR 5) | PFBA detected at 5.2 ppt in one sample (Nov 18, 2025); no PFOA or PFOS at or above the 4 ppt reporting level[4]. |
| Jefferson City hardness | 205 ppm, about 12 grains per gallon[2]. USGS calls over 180 mg/L very hard[5]. |
| Dandridge PFAS (UCMR 5) | PFOS 4.1 ppt in one sample at the Jefferson City supply connection (Aug 11, 2025)[4]. |
| Newport byproducts | Trihalomethanes 65 ppb, range 12.2–77.3 ppb (2025; federal limit 80)[6]. |
| Homes on private wells | Grainger 54%, Cocke 40%, Jefferson 28%, Hamblen 1% (USGS, 2015)[3]. |
Numbers come from each utility’s own report and EPA/USGS data, checked November 2026. Water changes from street to street, so book a free test for your home.
Morristown’s 2025 report shows chlorine averaging 1.85 ppm and a low haloacetic acid level of 7.81 ppb[1]. None of the 30 homes in its 2023 lead sampling was above the action level[1]. The report doesn’t publish a hardness number. In EPA’s UCMR 5 testing in 2025, one sample showed PFBA at 5.2 ppt[4]. PFBA isn’t one of the compounds EPA limits, and no PFOA or PFOS was found at or above the 4 ppt reporting level[4].
Shady Grove Utility District, which buys from Jefferson City, lists Jefferson City water at an average 205 ppm of hardness, or 11.98 grains per gallon[2]. On the USGS scale anything over 180 mg/L is very hard[5]. Water that hard leaves heavy scale in water heaters and on fixtures, and it’s where a water softener earns its keep. In EPA’s 2024 UCMR 5 samples, Jefferson City had PFPeA and PFBS each detected at 3.8 ppt[4]; neither carries EPA’s 4 ppt limit.
About 28% of Jefferson County residents were on wells in 2015[3], mostly outside the towns.
Dandridge doesn’t treat its own water. It buys from Jefferson City, KUB and Newport Utilities[7]. EPA’s 2025 UCMR 5 samples at the Jefferson City connection showed PFOS at 4.1 ppt, along with PFBS, PFPeA, PFHxA and PFHxS at lower levels; the KUB connection showed PFBA at 17 ppt[4]. EPA’s limit for PFOA and for PFOS is 4 ppt, measured as a running annual average, with compliance due in 2029; a rule EPA proposed in May 2026 would let systems ask for an extension to 2031[8]. One sample is not a running average, and Dandridge’s newest posted report, for 2024, lists no violations for its own system[7].
Newport Utilities treats French Broad River water. Its 2025 report lists trihalomethanes at 65 ppb, with samples up to 77.3 ppb, and notes that the water meets EPA’s standard but does contain low levels[6]. Chlorine averaged 1.9 ppm[6]. EPA’s UCMR 5 data show no PFAS at or above reporting levels for Newport[4]. Outside town, Cocke County is well country: about 40% of residents supplied their own water in 2015[3], from Cosby to Parrottsville.
North of Cherokee Lake, Grainger County had the highest well share in our service area: about 54% of residents in 2015[3]. If you’re in Rutledge, Bean Station or Washburn on a well, start with a test. EPA advises yearly checks for coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH[9].
Morristown and Newport water is treated lake and river water; the common requests are chlorine and byproduct filtration and better drinking water. Jefferson City water is a softener conversation first, because of its hardness.
Wells across Jefferson, Grainger and Cocke counties need a plan built from a test: sediment and iron handling, softening, UV light for bacteria and reverse osmosis for drinking. See well water treatment.
Morristown Utilities uses two sources: Cherokee Lake on the Holston River and Havely’s Spring, a groundwater source. The two are mixed before treatment. The utility also adds a corrosion inhibitor to limit iron, lead and copper coming off pipes. Its 2025 report shows 0 of 30 homes above the lead action level in the 2023 sampling.
Yes, very hard. Shady Grove Utility District, which buys water from Jefferson City, lists it at an average 205 ppm, or 11.98 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale, anything over 180 mg/L is very hard. That level leaves heavy scale in water heaters and on fixtures, and a softener is usually the first step.
In EPA’s 2025 UCMR 5 testing, one sample at Dandridge’s Jefferson City supply connection showed PFOS at 4.1 ppt, with four other PFAS at lower levels. The KUB connection showed PFBA at 17 ppt. EPA’s limit for PFOA and PFOS is 4 ppt as a running annual average, with compliance due in 2029, so one sample isn’t a violation.
Yes. By USGS estimates for 2015, about 40% of Cocke County residents supplied their own water, along with 54% in Grainger County and 28% in Jefferson County. No utility tests a private well. EPA advises testing every year for coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH, and TWA’s in-home test is free.
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