Audio clip
Ron Littlefield
Calling Tuesday's 137-million-gallon sewage leak into the Tennessee River "a tragedy," Mayor Ron Littlefield said Wednesday the city will be installing a backup generator at the Moccasin Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant to try to make sure it doesn't happen again.
City crews also plan to resod Coolidge Park to remove contaminated grass and dirt on the city's signature North Shore riverbank.
"We'll leave it clean," the mayor said. "We all agree that this was a wakeup call, and we want to make sure that it doesn't happen again without having onsite backup power generation."
A faulty piece of insulation caused one of the main power lines inside the plant to short out Tuesday morning. The crippling collapse spread down three major power poles and "fried the wiring," shutting down the plant's treatment pumps, said Jerry Stewart, the city's Waste Resources Division director.
Other details about the spill and how to prevent future ones are being determined, he said.
"Basically, we'll have a sit-down and look at how we might improve our inspections, but I don't know if we could have stopped this," Mr. Stewart said. "Even if we were doing more frequent inspections, it's a random thing that I don't think anybody thought we'd have."
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Staff photo by Tim Barber/Chattanooga Times Free Press Jerry W. Stewart, director of the City of Chattanooga's Waste Resources Division, explains what went wrong when a power failure resulted in raw sewage being dumped into the Tennessee River on Tuesday.
After the breakdown Tuesday, two rented generators arrived from Knoxville by 8:30 p.m. and cranked up two pumps. All electricity was functioning Wednesday after 18 hours of sewage leaks into the Tennessee River, Mr. Stewart said.
City of Chattanooga spokesman Richard Beeland said officials do not know the accumulated cost for two backup generators, Tuesday's contracted labor and various projects needed to purify the three affected areas. He said the city should have an estimate early next week.
SAFETY ISSUES
Tennessee American Water Co. officials have said the spills occurred downstream of the city's drinking water intakes, but they will monitor for any need to increase treatment.
State officials have notified officials in South Pittsburg, Tenn., which is downstream of the spill, to be on the watch for possible contamination.
"South Pittsburg collected additional E. coli samples at their intake, but do not expect any increased number due to the very high flows in the Tennessee River," said Tisha Calabrese-Benton, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
With a buildup of stormwater from Sunday's rains, the Tennessee Valley Authority released a total of 80 billion gallons into the river on Tuesday, which should nullify any hazardous effects that the organic sewage matter might have on the region's drinking water supply, according to Mr. Stewart.
But he had words of advice for those considering a river excursion in the next few days.
"Anybody that's smart wouldn't be out there right now," he said.
Citing weather issues and the difficulty of acquiring fresh sod in winter, Chattanooga Parks and Recreation supervisor Don Lewis said it could take "several weeks" to repair the contaminated area underneath the Market Street Bridge at Coolidge Park.
"Typically, sites which have overflows are vacuumed and have powdered lime applied to the area to kill the bacteria," said Ms. Calabrese-Benton. "The Tennessee River is at extremely high levels right now, so areas of the Riverwalk are underwater."
Riverfront boat ramps were closed to all boats Wednesday because of the river levels. The city also posted signs where overflows have occurred along the Tennessee Riverwalk.
Ms. Calabrese-Benton said regulators will not cite Moccasin Bend for Tuesday's waste spill.
INFRASTRUCTURE CONCERNS
Mr. Stewart said Tuesday's spill was the largest in Moccasin Bend's 49-year history. He said the plant recently received an equipment upgrade, but the next one is scheduled for 2020 or 2025. Many sewage lines are more than 100 years old, he said.
"They'll probably be replacing the lining over the next several years," he said. "We've been working very diligently over the past five years (to achieve) what the (Environmental Protection Agency) and TDEC call CMOM: capacity, management, operation and maintenance of the sewer system."
About 25 percent of the city's sewage system is cleaned every year, Mr. Stewart said.
BY THE NUMBERS
* 137 million gallons of untreated wastewater into Tennessee River
* 18 hours of unmitigated sewage flow
* 80 billion gallons of water run Tuesday by TVA
* Sewage made up 0.17 percent of Tuesday's total river flow
Source: City of Chattanooga
Chris Carroll covers politics for the Times Free Press. A Chattanooga native, he graduated from Red Bank High School in 2005 and earned a bachelor’s degree in history from East Tennessee State University in 2009. Chris has investigated violent crime, hospitals, Red Bank politics and East Ridge politics since joining the newspaper in January 2010. For a jailhouse interview story with accused murderer Antonio Henry, he won a third place Tennessee Associated Press Managing Editors ...
Pam Sohn has been reporting or editing Chattanooga news for 25 years. A Walden’s Ridge native, she began her journalism career with a 10-year stint at the Anniston (Ala.) Star. She came to the Chattanooga Times Free Press in 1999 after working at the Chattanooga Times for 14 years. She has been a city editor, Sunday editor, wire editor, projects team leader and assistant lifestyle editor. As a reporter, she also has covered the police, ...
I wonder of them Georgians still want water?
Good foresight Mr. Mayor!.... I mean hindsight... oh how embarrassing.
New! From Ronco Littlefield! It's the “CRAP-O-MATIC”!
First introduced in Chattanooga, the Ronco Littlefield “Crap-o-Matic” is guaranteed to waste money, do nothing, and spout sewage at irregular intervals.
From the same person who brought you the “Pay-for-Play Party Machine” at the Arts, Education, and Cultural Department to the "Cooper-the-Copper Patronage Police Chief" (job and car for girlfriend included, get-out-of-jail card supplied separately), Ron has once again set the standard for malfeasance and misfeasance while in office.
Act now and receive the Ronco Littlefield “DEAD FISH and E.COLI Water Strainer and Live Culture Kit” (see Ronco's Chief O’Stuff for exact payment and where to leave the cash). If you call within the next 12 hours you're guaranteed delivery by a live City Council-member (tips expected, cash only) to your own home. Receive the tester you’ll need in Kimball, South Pittsburg, and all points downstream of Chattanooga, thanks to the Ronco Littlefield administration.
Don’t wait for the outbreak of dysentery, typhoid, fever, and disease to be discovered by your neighbors on the Tennessee River—Come to Coolidge Park and get your own samples at the new Littlefield "Brownfield-by-the-River"! (Just pay separate Haz-Mat charges.)
And this year promises even more from Ronco Littlefield! There’s the Mag-Lev Heavy-Doody Money Train where Ronco can cross state-lines taking Crap-o-Matics to Atlanta. The AEC department has already prepared the new train logo of Crossed-palms over brown water, while the City Council prepares a new rubber-stamp declaring “Chattanooga—And You Thought New Orleans Stank”.
Join us as we dedicate the Ronco Littlefield “Geyser of Glory” fountain at the failed Moccasin Bend pumping station this April 1st. They’ll be prizes for best protection suit and children will be given nets to go fishing for brown trout and sewage suckers. Winners will be given six months to live, Pepto Bismol, and 3 days, 4 nights at the Littlefield Homeless Hotel between 10th and 11th Streets.
Hurry! Don’t wait for the flies and disease to appear downstream. Order your “Crap-o-Matic” today and be the first to show your support for the throne-rooms on Lindsay Street.
The faulty insulation would have been found after installation if the circuit had been "megged". That should be done on all medium and high voltage circuits.
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