Clarksville, Tennessee — now approaching 180,000 residents — is the state’s fastest-growing city and the fifth largest. It’s also next door to Fort Campbell, a 105,000-acre Army installation straddling the Tennessee-Kentucky border that’s home to the 101st Airborne Division.
That proximity brings economic benefits and water quality concerns in roughly equal measure.
Fort Campbell: PFAS on a Massive Scale
Fort Campbell is one of the largest military installations in the United States. The base has used AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) containing PFOS and PFOA at multiple fire training areas, aircraft hangars, and crash response sites for decades.
The Department of Defense has confirmed PFAS contamination at Fort Campbell:
- On-base groundwater contains PFAS at levels well above the EPA’s health advisory levels
- Multiple contamination sites — Fort Campbell’s size means PFAS was used at numerous locations across the installation, creating multiple overlapping plumes
- Off-base migration — Groundwater contamination doesn’t respect base boundaries. Communities adjacent to Fort Campbell, including areas of Clarksville and the Kentucky side, are at risk.
- Surface water impacts — Creeks and streams flowing off the base carry PFAS into the Cumberland River watershed
The Army has conducted preliminary assessments and is in various stages of investigation at Fort Campbell’s PFAS sites. But the scale of the installation — and the decades of AFFF use — mean full remediation is a generational timeline.
Cumberland River: Clarksville’s Water Source
Clarksville’s water utility, Clarksville Gas and Water, draws drinking water from the Cumberland River. The Cumberland is a major river system draining much of Middle Tennessee and Kentucky, and it carries the cumulative impact of:
- Agricultural runoff — Middle Tennessee has extensive agriculture, contributing nitrate, phosphorus, and pesticides
- Upstream municipal discharges — Nashville and dozens of smaller communities discharge treated wastewater into the Cumberland upstream of Clarksville
- Industrial activity — The Cumberland watershed includes manufacturing, mining, and energy production
- Fort Campbell contributions — Surface water runoff from the base enters the Cumberland system
Clarksville’s water treatment plant uses conventional processes including coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and chloramine disinfection. The most recent Consumer Confidence Report shows all regulated contaminants within EPA limits.
Growth Outpacing Infrastructure
Clarksville’s population has roughly doubled in 20 years, and the growth shows no signs of slowing. This creates specific water challenges:
- Distribution system expansion — New development requires extending water mains into areas that were recently farmland, and the pace of expansion strains engineering and construction capacity
- Pressure management — Rapidly expanding systems can develop low-pressure zones, which increase the risk of backflow contamination
- Treatment plant capacity — Demand is approaching the capacity of existing treatment infrastructure, requiring expensive upgrades
- Wastewater strain — Growth generates wastewater that must be treated and discharged back into the Cumberland, potentially affecting downstream communities
The city has invested in water system upgrades, but the tension between growth pace and infrastructure investment is real.
Lead Service Lines and Older Neighborhoods
Clarksville’s historic core — the area around downtown and the older residential neighborhoods — includes homes dating to the early 1900s. These older areas may have:
- Lead service lines connecting water mains to homes
- Interior plumbing with lead solder (common in homes built before 1986)
- Galvanized steel pipes that can accumulate lead over time
Clarksville Gas and Water maintains corrosion control treatment and is conducting its lead service line inventory as required by the revised Lead and Copper Rule.
What the Data Shows
From Clarksville’s most recent CCR:
- All regulated contaminants within EPA limits
- Trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids present (disinfection byproducts) but within limits
- Lead at 90th percentile below the action level
- PFAS testing conducted — detections at low levels below current EPA limits
- Nitrate within limits but detectable from watershed sources
What Clarksville Residents Should Do
- Ask about PFAS — Request Clarksville Gas and Water’s most recent PFAS testing results. With Fort Campbell next door, this is a critical data point.
- Private well owners near Fort Campbell — If you’re on a private well anywhere near the base perimeter, test for PFAS. The Army may provide testing or treatment for wells in the contamination zone — contact Fort Campbell’s environmental office.
- Older homes — If your home was built before 1986, consider testing tap water for lead and running cold water before drinking.
- New construction — If you’re buying a newly built home in a recently developed area, verify that the water mains have been properly flushed and tested before occupancy.
- Stay informed on growth impacts — Attend city council and utility meetings where water infrastructure investments are discussed. The decisions being made now will determine water quality for decades.
Clarksville’s growth is a success story for the city and the region. But managing water quality in one of America’s fastest-growing cities — next to one of its largest military bases — requires constant attention and investment.
If you’re concerned about your water quality, a certified water treatment professional can test your water and advise on solutions for your specific situation.