Parts of Hamilton County have been under sewer moratoriums, which prohibit new connections to particular sewer lines, for a decade or more.
Sewer overflows pollute creeks and streams, violating state and federal regulations. The moratoriums prevent new development from connecting to affected sewer lines, and the rehabilitation work to correct the issues is expensive.
“The Hamilton County sewer system typically experiences over 200 weather-related sewer overflows each year,” Dick Gee, board chairman of the Hamilton County Water & Wastewater Treatment Authority, said last year. “The overflows can contaminate local streams and potentially pose a public health risk. Addressing the issue is costly; however, it is the right thing to do and it is a requirement of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.”
All of Signal Mountain, aside from a few pre-approved properties and those connected to the decentralized wastewater treatment facility on the mountain, has been under a moratorium since 2008. A portion of Red Bank and 80-90% of Soddy-Daisy have been under a moratorium for about as long, according to Michael Patrick, director of the authority, which serves most of Hamilton County outside the city of Chattanooga.
Lookout Mountain and a portion of East Ridge are under a moratorium, as are several unincorporated areas in East Brainerd and Ooltewah, Patrick said.