A Tennessee regulator has warned that unfounded complaints about water quality could be considered a terroristic threat, The Tennesseean's Brian Haas reports.

Sherwin Smith, a deputy director for the state's Department of Environment and Conservation was recorded telling a gathering of Maury County residents the following:

We take water quality very seriously. Very, very seriously. But you need to make sure that when you make water quality complaints you have a basis, because federally, if there’s no water quality issues, that can be considered under Homeland Security an act of terrorism.

Here's the clip:

Haas says residents have been complaining to the state for months about local water quality, fearing some children may have become ill, though no evidence has confirmed this.

The Department says it will now investigate the meeting and that Smith will not comment.

Read the full story at The Tennesseean >