Progress to correct sewer infiltration problems is being made on Signal Mountain, but the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, which is managing the current moratorium, says it has not received data that proves that.
“What we’re doing to reduce the flow is a list only three or four items long, but they’re big items,” said WWTA chief engineer Mark Harrison. “The moratorium is not going to be lifted until we can get these huge three or four items done. The only thing we’re doing in the meantime is judging whether we can use existing buildings in a new way.”
Signal driving deal with WWTA for repairsThe town of Signal Mountain is navigating an agreement with WWTA to repair one of its previous local projects along Timberlinks.”They installed a sewer line out to the high school,” Town Manager Honna Rogers explained. “If you drive Timberlinks now you’ll notice the road, you can see where it dips in one lane. That trench settled or something. We’re going to have to repair it and re-pave that area.”Such repairs are typically only covered by the contractor up to one year after the project. It’s been several years in this case. Rogers will go before the WWTA board in the next month or so to request WWTA split the estimated $52,000 repair costs with the town, which the town did not budget for and will come out of its portion of state street aid money.”It’s our responsibility to notify them if there is damage,” said Rogers. “This all occurred right around when the [previous] town manager left. I think there were things the town could’ve done, and I think there were things WWTA could’ve done better. I thought this was a fair compromise.”Repairing the area, which stretches approximately from Bee Branch to the ball fields, will require digging up the affected portion, re-packing it and then re-paving it. Rogers said she expects work to begin either this spring or summer. Flaggers and scheduling will be used to minimize traffic interruptions, but the road will not have to be closed.”It’s something that needs attention, it needs to be fixed, but it’s not something dangerous that has to be fixed right away,” she said, adding that the sewer is not in danger under the sinking road.- Jennifer Bardoner
Although TDEC recently decided to allow the build out of Guthrie’s and Southern Star, it is not an indication that development can move forward, according to communications director Tisha Calabrese-Benton.
But she did note that new connections can be incremental based on proof that infiltration has been reduced. For every four gallons of reduction, one gallon of credit will be applied. However, she said she has yet to see numbers from WWTA on this.
“I need to be really comfortable we’ve reduced it and I may err on the side of caution to be comfortable,” Harrison said, adding that average use per person per day is 100 gallons. “All sorts of really odd things impact it so that we can’t say we reduced it four gallons. We will certainly look and try to add people on as soon as we can. We understand that people want to connect. WWTA earns revenue based on customers, so for us the more customers we get the more revenue we get.”
Town Manager Honna Rogers said she has and will continue to work with WWTA. However, she acknowledged that it is the WWTA’s project and progress will have to come from them.
“It’s always been our position that we want to work with them and help in any way we can,” she said. “It’s a little difficult sometimes to figure out what that role is because it’s between WWTA and TDEC, but we’ve been here to assist in whatever way we can. It’s our responsibility because it’s affecting our citizens and businesses to try and at times not push the issue but ask about it and make sure things are moving along.”
THE GREEN LIGHT
The following were under contractual commitment with the WWTA before June 11, 2007, and are free to build:
North Palisades: LP, 2 lots
Huckleberry Grove: LP, 9 lots
Brow Estates: LP (many of these homes have septic systems that have failed and are contributing to the pollution of Shoal Creek), 4 vacant lots
St. Ives: STEP system, 64 lots
Dogwood Grove: LP, 22 lots
Signal Place Subdivision: 11 lots
STILL WAITING
WWTA waiting list for sewer connection:
Steven and Janet Bush: 2 Ballard Bluff
Steve and Abby Haase: 501 Laurel St.
Mike Hall: 402 and 454 Tennessee Ave.
Neeld J. Messler: Parcels 1, 2 and 3