KINGSTON, Tenn. -- Arsenic levels more than 100 times the acceptable amount have been found in a river near a massive coal ash spill in East Tennessee, federal environmental officials said.

Images | RAW AERIAL VIDEO: TVA Retention Pond Bursts

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released data Friday showing total arsenic levels in one sample were 149 times the maximum acceptable level.

The water sample from the Emory River near the spill site also showed a total concentration of lead five times above normal and slightly elevated total levels of beryllium, cadmium and chromium.

Meanwhile, samples taken near the Kingston water treatment plant -- which is upstream from the spill site -- were found to be within the federal limits, except for thallium, which was found at levels three times the maximum limit, according to the EPA data.

The EPA has said previously that water samples from near the spill were above federal maximums for contaminants, but hadn't released the data until Friday.

Laura Niles, an EPA spokeswoman, said Friday these metals are routinely filtered out of drinking water during the water treatment process.

A retention pond burst at the Kingston Steam Plant on Dec. 22, spreading more than a billion gallons of fly ash mixed with water over roughly 300 acres of Roane County and into the Emory River. The deluge destroyed three homes and damaged 42 parcels of land, but there were no serious injuries.

At a news conference Friday, Kingston Mayor Troy Beets drank a cup of water that he said came from his tap at home, according to The Knoxville News Sentinel.

"I want everybody to know that there's no danger in drinking city water in Kingston," he said.

Niles said the EPA also expects to release preliminary data from tests of nearby wells, which she said Friday showed no elevated levels of contaminants. Officials have been cautioning residents who use private wells or springs to stop drinking the water until they can be tested.

Arsenic occurs naturally in the environment. Trace amounts of arsenic and other metals are also part of fly ash after coal combustion, according to the TVA.

Elevated levels of arsenic can cause ailments ranging from nausea to partial paralysis, and long-term exposure has been linked to several types of cancer, according to the EPA.

State and federal agencies, along with the Tennessee Valley Authority, say they will continue testing the water and the air once the ash has had a chance to dry out and be released into the air.

Coal ash, a fine powdery material, is generated from coal-burning plants. The EPA suggested residents avoid activities that generate dust because the material could irritate skin and nasal passages, especially for people with existing respiratory illnesses such as asthma.

The TVA also released preliminary data from air samples from four areas near the plant, showing a detectable level of quartz at one location. The tests did not detect other contaminants like arsenic or lead.

The agency that operates the Kingston plant said in a news release that it would start temporary dust control spraying over the weekend as a precaution to minimize dust and erosion.

Helicopters will spray seed and straw on exposed ash that is accessible by air. For other areas, TVA will use an amphibious vehicle that can move over the gray sludge to spread the seed and straw.

TVA said the seed is similar to what highway departments use to provide ground cover and will appear green for about two months.

Erin Brockovich To Visit East Tennessee

Environmental law consultant Erin Brockovich will visit east Tennessee next week to talk to people worried about the sludge spill.

Brockovich said a lot of people there aren't confident about what they're being told and she just wants to help them through the ordeal.

The outspoken 48-year-old mother of three describes herself as a self-taught authority on environmental issues.

Her class-action lawsuit that led to a $300 million settlement by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company was portrayed in the Academy Award-winning movie "Erin Brockovich" starring Julia Roberts.