Terms Used In Tennessee Code 68-221-702

  • Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Waters: means any and all water, public or private, on or beneath the surface of the ground, which are contained within, flow through, or border upon Tennessee, or any portion thereof, except those bodies of water confined to and retained within the limits of private property in single ownership which do not combine or effect a junction with natural surface or underground waters. See Tennessee Code 68-221-703

Recognizing that the waters of the state are the property of the state and are held in public trust for the benefit of its citizens, it is declared that the people of the state are beneficiaries of this trust and have a right to both an adequate quantity and quality of drinking water.