Here's who was selected to review Germantown's response to the water crisis
The city of Germantown has appointed former Collierville Town Administrator James Lewellen to conduct an independent review and after-action assessment of the water contamination in Germantown. Lewellen was selected by Mayor Mike Palazzolo and will begin the review immediately.
“Our community was devastated after losing access to our much-needed water system; a thorough and independent review of all the City’s processes and procedures regarding this crisis is a critical step toward identifying opportunities for improvement,” Palazzolo said in a statement.
Lewellen will have the opportunity to select individuals to assist in the review, according to an email from the city. Preliminary findings are expected within 45 days, while a final report will be presented to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen after 90 days.
On July 20, the city of Germantown put all residents on a restricted water ban because of a diesel odor coming from the city's water. It was later found up to 300 gallons of diesel was spilled into an underground water revisor due to an employee's error when refueling a generator. Most residents went almost a week without access to safe water in their homes, and some even longer due to the diesel odor not dissipating.
Brooke Muckerman covers Shelby County Government for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at Brooke.Muckerman@commercialappeal.com and followed on Twitter @BrookeMuckerman.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Independent assessment of Germantown's response to water crisis to begin
