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Q&A with Scott Schoefernacker | The Fly­By | Memphis News and Events | Memphis Flyer
N E W S » TH E F L Y‐B Y
September 15, 2016
Q&A with Sco䁀 Schoefernacker Program manager at University of Memphis Center for Applied Earth Science and
Engineering Research
by BIANCA PHILLIPS
A proposal by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to drill five wells into the
Memphis Sand aquifer — the source of the regionʹs famously clean drinking
water — and siphon up to 3.5 million gallons of water per day to cool its new, under‑construction gas plant
has been making waves among environmental activists and members of city and county government.
Just last week, a Shelby County Commission commi䁀ee discussed the formation of a task force to study
county regulations for well‑drilling, and County Commissioner Steve Basar asked the Shelby County Health
Department not to approve two of the TVAʹs five drilling permits without the commissionʹs permission (the
department has already approved permits for three wells).
The issue has led to a discussion about the health of the Memphis Sand aquifer. At a Sierra Club‑hosted panel
on the issue last month, Memphis, Light, Gas & Water (MLGW) president Jerry Collins said the aquifer is
actually in be䁀er shape than it was 16 years ago when the average amount of water pumped from the aquifer
daily was 159 million gallons. Last year, 126 million gallons per day were pumped.
The University of Memphis Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research (CAESER) studies the
aquifer, and program manager Sco䁀 Schoefernacker took a few minutes to discuss what makes the Memphis
Sand so special and just how much water it holds. — Bianca Phillips
click to enlarge
U of M’s Sco䁀 Schoefernacker
Flyer: Do we get all of our drinking water from the Memphis Sand?
Sco䁀 Schoefernacker: Mainly from the Memphis Sand but also from the Fort Pillow aquifer, which is below
the Memphis Sand. Everybody in the area gets their water from either one of those.
What makes our aquifer so special?
Itʹs part of a large aquifer system that extends from Southern Illinois all the way down to Louisiana. There are
six aquifers within that system. The Memphis Sand is the largest one. Itʹs anywhere from 600 to 900 feet thick.
Itʹs a large body of sand, and itʹs full of water. There are some clay layers in there, but for the most part, itʹs
mainly sand, and thatʹs fairly unique.
[MLGW does very] li䁀le processing to the water. They aerate it to put oxygen in it. They throw in chlorine and
phosphate and fluoride. It comes out from the ground, and they do that quick process, and it goes straight to
the tap. Itʹs cheap. We have some of the lowest water rates in the country.
Is it really the cleanest drinking water in the country?
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9/15/2016
Q&A with Scott Schoefernacker | The Fly­By | Memphis News and Events | Memphis Flyer
It is some of the cleanest since we donʹt have to do much to it to take out contaminants. In some parts of the
country, they have to process their water to get it up to standards to put out there. Weʹre lucky.
Why is there very li䁀le contamination?
The sand is like a big filter pack. Contaminants do get into the aquifer, but itʹs so large and so vast, and thereʹs
so much water, so it typically gets filtered out.
How much water is in the aquifer?
[CAESER] director Brian [Waldron] always throws out the number of 57 trillion gallons, give or take,
underneath Shelby County. If you took all the water from underneath Shelby County and you flooded the
entire county, it would basically go to the top of Clark Tower.
Is 3.5 million gallons of water a day a lot?
In my mind, itʹs not that much water per day. The [United States Geological Survey] has said, if they pumped
just the 3.5 million gallons a day, it would change the water level by seven feet [at the plant site and four feet
at a radial distance of one mile]. Typically, we donʹt have the issue of quantity. It always comes down to the
issue of quality of water, and we have good quality water, so you want to preserve that quality.
How quickly does the Memphis Sand recharge?
Thereʹs a study being done out at a research site at Pine Crest, just east of Moscow, Tenn. Itʹs not very well‑
known how fast it recharges, but weʹre working on it.
Recharge comes from unconfined areas (meaning thereʹs no clay layer) of the Memphis Sand, and in our case,
thatʹs Faye䁀e County. Thatʹs our recharge area.
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