Mike McCracken is a man on a mission. He is Jonesborough’s water guru and finding leaks in the system is his mandate.

“I love what I do,” said the Johnson City native. “I’ve lived in Jonesborough for 34 years with my family, and I love it and the people who live here. I’ve also got to tell you this is a good team of people that I work with at the Water Department, and they are really supportive.”

McCracken, whose official title is Water Distribution Superintendent, takes to the road three or four days a week, searching for leaks. He walks the 425 or so mile radius that is Jonesborough, at least twice a year searching for elusive cracks in aging pipes that can turn into fissures in a heartbeat. Mind you, he doesn’t do it alone — he has a state-of-the-art sounding tool he fondly calls “Ole’ Yeller,” to help him. But still, there is something mystical involved in his success. More...