Chief operator John Condra, left, and Jerome Blalock point out the ultraviolet treatment equipment, left, and aerators in the new Monteagle, Tenn., wastewater treatment plant. The facility was flooded Tuesday during heavy rains.Monteagle officials and work crews are continuing clean up today at the town's new Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 3 after a malfunction sometime early Tuesday flooded the facility's basement four-feet deep in wastewater.
Monteagle Mayor Marilyn Campbell Nixon said early today that crews first must clean up and disinfect the basement area of the plant before they can begin a full assessment of damage and search for the malfunction's cause.
Meantime, crews at the plant are manually treating incoming wastewater according to state directives, Nixon said.
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation officials said Tuesday that full electrical power could be restored once an assessment is done on damages and repairs are made. The basement of the new plant is where control panels, ultraviolet disinfecting equipment and other electronics are housed, officials said.