NASHVILLE — Hamilton County sewer authority officials offered Tuesday to establish a grant fund that would help lower-income customers afford sewer repairs in streets and rights of way if lawmakers eliminate a 1999 state law that makes the agency legally responsible for such work.
“Knox County has chosen a grant program to make funds available to those people that can’t afford to fix theirs,” Hamilton County Water & Wastewater Treatment Authority Chairman Henry Hoss told local lawmakers. “WWTA is open to that discussion.”
Authority officials said the current law is unfair, making the agency financially responsible for repairing “service lateral” pipes leading from the authority-owned main sewer line, located in the road, to the customers’ property line. Customers remain responsible for pipes in their yards.
Customers of most other wasterwater entities, including Chattanooga, are required to pay for blockages or breaks in lateral lines located in rights of way and under the street.
The offer of a grant program was made after Hamilton County lawmakers questioned wastewater authority’s desire to do away with the existing law.
Rep. Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, the delegation’s chairman, said the authority’s estimated 25,000 customers “are probably not too concerned about splitting hairs on whose right of way it is.”
“Why should they be responsible?” Rep. McCormick asked. “This is what they (customers) are going to ask me after they run me out of office on a rail.”
Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, questioned how WWTA is handling similar cases now, saying, “I got the impression that despite the law that people have been paying for these.”
WWTA Executive Director Cleveland Grimes said customers are told they can come to the WWTA’s variance committee “and the board has never turned down anyone.”
Sen. Berke questioned whether homeowners who do not come are stuck with the costs.
“We’re not aware of anybody who’s called us or notified us of a blockage and we haven’t dealt with it,” said Mr. Hoss, estimating there have been only four or such cases. “Anybody else, they’ve just failed to contact us.”
WWTA attorney John Anderson said the issue is being “exacerbated” by Signal Mountain problems. The WWTA is trying to bring the town’s leaky sewer lines and outdated plant into compliance with state and federal regulations. There is a moratorium on new sewer hookups there.
Mr. Grimes said storm water on Signal enters through cracked or separated service lateral lines. That leaves less room for sewage and results in discharges into the Tennessee River after only primary treatment, he said.
Rep. Vince Dean, R-East Ridge, said it is a legitimate point.
Rep. Jim Cobb, R-Spring City, was one of several lawmakers who appeared wary of making changes to the law.
“Right now, I’m against it,” he said. “I really don’t feel like it’s fair to the consumer to pay such exorbitant costs when they tell me that the number of incidents are so few.”
FAST FACTS
Hamilton County Water & Wastewater Authority
Created — 1993
Mission — Provide reliable, low-cost sewer service within service area to promote economic development, eliminate health problems and protect the environment
Customers — Estimated 25,000 residences and businesses
Service area — Unincorporated areas of Hamilton County, East Ridge, Red Bank, Soddy-Daisy, Signal Mountain, Lookout Mountain, Ridgeside, Lakesite
Andy Sher is a Nashville-based staff writer covering Tennessee state government and politics for the Times Free Press. A Washington correspondent from 1999-2005 for the Times Free Press, Andy previously headed up state Capitol coverage for The Chattanooga Times, worked as a state Capitol reporter for The Nashville Banner and was a contributor to The Tennessee Journal, among other publications. Andy worked for 17 years at The Chattanooga Times covering police, health care, county government, ...
