The Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority has applied for a $7.3 million loan from the State of Tennessee’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund to address sewer problems in East Ridge.
During a public meeting on Monday, WWTA officials said the money will be used to address issues in the eastern part of the city around the Frawley Road area known as Basin 10.
Scott McDonald, an engineer with S & ME, told those at the public meeting that one of the problems in the city’s aging sewer system is storm water getting into the sewer system. This volume of water creates overflows that are problematic.
Officials said that the city has been under a self-imposed moratorium mandated by the Tennessee Department of Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for many years. This moratorium essentially limits new connections, both commercial and residential, to a stressed sewer system.
The money from the state will go toward the “East Ridge Sanitary Sewer Basin Project” that includes sewer investigation, design and rehabilitation of the system.
McDonald said that about 22,000 feet of mainline sewers (the sewer going down many streets) will be rehabbed. Much of this work, he said can be accomplished without digging up streets and disrupting traffic. This “trench-less mainline rehabilitation” lines the existing pipe with a substance that prevents water from infiltrating the line. However, in some area, officials said, entire stretches of main sewer line may have to be replaced.
In addition, 1,800 vertical feet of manholes located throughout the eastern part of the city will be repaired. This work involves assuring the integrity of the actual manhole passages allowing access to the main sewer lines.
Over the last several years, the WWTA has replaced many lateral lines connecting homes to the main sewer in the city, officials said. The WWTA has been inspecting via closed circuit television portions of the city’s sewer system to pinpoint broken pipes where groundwater is entering the system. The inspections, McDonald said, would “distill down the exact repairs that need to be made.”
WWTA officials said the work financed by the loan will not affect rates charged to customers. The $7 million can be repaid with the current rate structure over the course of 15 years.
About the Hamilton County Water & Wastewater Treatment Authority
The WWTA is responsible for the public sewer system throughout the unincorporated areas of Hamilton County, and the surrounding municipalities of East Ridge, Lakesite, Lookout Mountain, Red Bank, Ridgeside, Signal Moutain and Soddy Daisy. Our purpose is to protect the environment and public by regulating the quality of water discharged int the wastewater collection system and treatment works.k The WWTA regulates the expansion of sewers and ensures compliancy with the provision of the clean Water Act as well as other federal, state and local laws.
