Costly challenge under our feet
County sewer authority plans $22.5 million in upgrades to fix current system
After spending a record $23 million on sewer upgrades last year, Hamilton County’s sewer authority is planning to spend nearly as much again this year to replace aging pipes and sewer connections for its 30,000 customers in much of the county outside of Chattanooga.
The upgrades are designed to help bring the county into compliance with federal water and sewer regulations. For now, Hamilton County Water & Wastewater Treatment Authority (WWTA) Director Michael Patrick said the agency remains focused on repairing and fixing existing lines and equipment, not extending sewer service into unserved areas to open up more development.
Patrick also said talk of a merger with the city of Chattanooga to resolve ongoing water and sewer problems is on the back burner, at least for
the immediate future.
“We have over 20 projects across Hamilton County that are in various stages of development,” Patrick said of WWTA’s 2021 work plan which totals more than $22.5 million. “Our team is especially focused on projects that will assist in making upgrades and rehabilitation to assist us in meeting infrastructure needs.”
For more than five years, WWTA officials have been negotiating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Justice and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for a consent decree that will spell out what improvements the authority must make to comply with federal and state water quality regulations after years of Clean Water Act violations and millions of gallons of sewage spilled into local creeks and streams.
Patrick said he hopes to have an agreement with EPA this year. But even without a formal consent decree, the authority has been working in recent years to comply with EPA standards and to limit the number of water quality citations given to WWTA for its current system.
The WWTA inherited aging sewer systems from seven municipalities and faces other challenges from new developments in areas that don’t have sewers and suffer from pollution runoff problems.
Dick Gee, chairman of the WWTA board, said last year that the Hamilton County sewer system typically has more than
200 weather-related sewer overflows every year.
“The overflows can contaminate local streams and potentially pose a public health risk,” he said. “Addressing the issue is costly; however, it is the right thing to do and it is a requirement of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.”
In 2018, WWTA estimated that it needed to make $245 million of repairs to its sewer network to comply with EPA requirements. The county agency had considered building its own $45 million sewage treatment facility in Ooltewah, but Hamilton County commissioners rejected that proposal at the end of 2018.
The WWTA sends its sewage to Chattanooga’s Moccasin Bend Sewage Treatment Plant, which is owned and operated by the city of Chattanooga. With both the city and WWTA facing EPA mandates for improvements in their sewer systems, a merger of the two sewer authorities has been considered but is not moving ahead, at least for now.
Similar to the 2013 agreement the city of Chattanooga reached with EPA, the WWTA anticipates it will take 15 to 20 years to complete the EPA required improvements. WWTA is borrowing money from both a low-interest state revolving fund and the county, as well as raising rates.
Last fall, WWTA approved a 12% rate hike to raise another $1.7 million a year and Patrick said he expects another sewer rate increase is likely this year, although he said the authority will work to have a lesser increase than last year.
The typical residential sewer bill from WWTA customers using approximately 4,000 gallons now pays $53.72, plus an $8 fee.
Projects underway or recently completed by the WWTA include the rehabilitation of the East Ridge Basin 10, upgrades to force main projects and pump stations in Ooltewah and projects in Red Bank.
“Like so many communities across the country, Hamilton County has aging sewer infrastructure that must be rehabilitated and upgraded to meet present and future needs and place us in compliance,” Patrick said. “We look forward to the projects the new year brings and the difference their completion will make on our environment.”
Bin Pickin LLC, 321 Thrasher Pike, Soddy-Daisy, Brian L. Benton
1803 Glenroy LLC, 3832 Pennsylvania Ave., Chattanooga, Joshua F. Ernest
Al Morales Plastering Inc., 209 Chickamauga Road, Chattanooga, Alfredo Morales
All Around Heat and Air, 1000 Falcon Run Drive, Soddy-Daisy, Dwight D. Sweatt
Ashland Construction Co., 4150 Ringgold Road, Chattanooga, Robert A. Boyette
Bald Guy Entertainment LLC, 6237 Vance Road Suite 6, Chattanooga, James R. Williamson
Ballard Enforcement Services, 4919 Willow Lawn Drive, Chattanooga, Michael W. Ballard
Blooming Rose Bakery, 3700 Sullivan Ave., East Ridge, Elizabeth Hamby
Bold And Blex Boutique, Trewhitt St., Chattanooga, Alexis Ray
Bosses With Vision, 4827 Jersey Pike, Apartment 607, Chattanooga, Lavonte Greer
Boxvana, 354 Honey Branch Industrial Park, Debord, Harrison Langley
Brocks Affordable Lawn Care, 92 Andrew Lee Drive, Henagar, Brock L. Pinkerton
C K Pools, 514 Meadowlark Trail, Chattanooga, Caleb E. Kennedy
Carter St. Hotel Property Investment LLC, 2 Carter Plaza, Chattanooga 19
Cedar Electronics Holdings Corp., 4400 Amnicola Highway, Chattanooga, Robert Berger
Charles Pallet Service, 1803 Green Pond Road, Soddy-Daisy, Charles E. Newton
Chatt-Trash LLC, 1912 Bay Hill Drive Apartment B, Hixson, Christopher C. Lamb
Cobey’s Lawn Service, 1200 Isabelle St., Chattanooga, Cobey Smith
Common House Chattanooga, 1517 Mitchell Ave., Chattanooga, Benjamin Pfinsgraff
Construction Innovation, 5001 Kenner Ave., Chattanooga, Hector A. Delgado Cruz
Crystal Y. Smith, 2115 Gunbarrel Road, Chattanooga, Crystal Y. Smith
DIY Depot, 5320 Old Hixson Pike, Hixson, Lisa M Huey
DMCO Construction Inc., 420 Ivey Road, Trenton, David M. Lawson
Doyle Electric, 9652 Norman St., Soddy-Daisy, Paula C. Doyle
Editorial Verdeazul, 11271 Kauai Trail, Apison, Ana L. Barrios
Ellie Blake, 1312 A Stratton Place Drive, Chattanooga, Chastity S. Taylor
Elysian Beauty & Artistry, 1509 S. Smith St. Suite 21, Chattanooga, Tiera Cosper
Final Girl Vegan Food, 3210 Brainerd Road, Suite A, Chattanooga, Amy Nelson
Fleet Feet, 307 Manufacturers Road Suite 105, Chattanooga, Stephen L. Carter
Gillam and Associates Inc., 1652 Columbia Highway N, Aiken, James Gillam
Goddess Vision, 5221 Hickory Nut Lane, Hixson, Mya Baker
Goeser Tile Studio, 4611 Alabama Ave., Chattanooga, Tyler B. Goeser
Green Vending, 7711 Hansley Drive, Chattanooga, Tiffany Davis
Haygood Farms, 164 W. 31st, Suite 106, Chattanooga, James Schwartz
Heather Hatfield Homes, 3295 Enclave Bay Drive, Chattanooga, Heather M. Hatfield
Helloleaves, LLC, 5032 Ooltewah Ringgold Road, Ooltewah, Sophea R. Phuorng
J-Rock LLC, 7700 Aspen Lodge Way A514, Chattanooga, Jeff Fulkerson
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Kaehil Construction, 913 Wesley Drive, Hixson, Phillip B. Howard
KMD Construction LLC, 1001 Old West Innes St., Salisbury, Kyle M. Davis
Kuntry Kush, 7386 Nightfall Circle, Ooltewah, Joshua W. Reeves
Lay-Right Lawn Care, 2221 Lyons Lane, Soddy-Daisy, Steven Jones
Lobe Queen, 5748 N Morgan Lane, Chattanooga, Demesha M. Gamble Smith
Loosewheels LLC, 4066 Honor Circle, Chattanooga, Jimmie L. Malone
Mad Beauty Nails, 2020 Gunbarrel Road Suite 122, Chattanooga, Madison A. Harbin
Major Blinks, 1800 Tunnel Blvd., Chattanooga, Jada Springs
Monkey Town Detailing, 1705 Maple Place, SoddyDaisy, Jacob C. Stevens
Nanbai Mart, 4004 Rossville Blvd., Chattanooga, Saurabh Patel
Noah Detention Construction, 4225 Ward Cove Drive #A, Niceville, Robin A. Noah
P & E Family Cleaning, 1501 Greenwood Road, Chattanooga, Mercedes White
Passion Style Purpose, 7235 Aventine Way Apartment 209, Chattanooga, Justine A. Hernandez
Peralta Distribution, 6729 Indus Way, Chattanooga, Yessika Peralta Melendez
Restorative Massage Therapy, 100 Cherokee Blvd. Suite 2112, Chattanooga, Amy L. Packer
Rock and Revival, 1710 Urban Trail #214, Chattanooga, Victoria Grider
RT Professional Services, 7855 Basswood Lane,
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Saddity Extension, 1902 Sharp St., Chattanooga, Tamakia Williams
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Shuntae Express, 809 Eddings St., Chattanooga, Samantha McMillan
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