Complaints are pouring in from all sides about Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority’s private service lateral program, including concerns from Wayne Hamill, who represents Red Bank on the WWTA board, who requested options, including ending the program, be explored.
“We’ve got to make some decisions here shortly about which direction we want to take,” said WWTA board chairman Phil Smartt, who has instructed WWTA Executive Director Cleveland Grimes to check with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation about ending the program.
County Commissioner Fred Skillern is pushing for at least a redesign of what he called “socialism in action,” but the county commission does not have jurisdiction over WWTA.
TDEC initiated a sewer moratorium on Signal Mountain due to excess wastewater entering the system through outdated sewer lines in disrepair. WWTA voluntarily enacted the PSLP program in the county’s unincorporated areas and the cities of East Ridge, Lakesite, Lookout Mountain, Red Bank, Ridgeside, Signal Mountain and Soddy-Daisy.
If compliance is not met, Red Bank and East Ridge face moratoriums as well and the county would incur a penalty fee.