Chattanooga’s sewer upgrades are on schedule

As required by an agreement with the federal government, Chattanooga is on track for sewer improvements to prevent overflow into the Tennessee River, according to a presentation from city staff to the Chattanooga City Council on Tuesday.

The agreement, in response to hundreds of thousands of gallons of raw waste overflowing into the river each year, was reached in 2013 among the city, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Tennessee Clean Water Network.

The agreement was split into two phases — one from 2013 to 2020 and the other from 2020 to 2030.

Mark Heinzer, an administrator for the city’s wastewater department, said during Tuesday’s presentation the city is in full compliance and is on track to meet its obligations in the second phase.

He said sewer overflow in the city has been reduced by more than 90% since the mid 2010s. Currently, the city has no cases of chronic overflow, he added.

“This is a huge win for the city, huge win for our environment and for our neighborhoods that had wastewater flowing out of manholes back in the day,” Heinzer said.

Under the federal agreement, the city is also required to account for capacity demands as the city grows, something the city is on track to do, Heinzer said.

“We want to be able to grow. We want to be able to allow new connections, whether it’s new residential, new industrial, new commercial developments,” Heinzer said. “What we’re doing now not only eliminates those (sewer overflows) but also provides for future growth.”

Council member Darrin Ledford, of East Brainerd, said during Tuesday’s meeting he is pleased with the city’s progress.

“That’s a big deal,” Ledford said, referring to the city eliminating chronic overflow. “That’s a super big deal.”

The federal pact doesn’t come cheap for taxpayers.

The budget for phase one, from 2013 to 2020, totaled more than $250 million. The second phase is expected to cost more than $500 million.

In 2022, the city took out a low-interest $186 million loan to help fund projects associated with the agreement.