Hamilton County is expected to allocate $15 million in federal money to the Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority for projects in Signal Mountain, Middle Valley and East Brainerd.
“This happens to be something I think we all know we’re in dire need for,” Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger said of the sewer rehabilitation projects, which Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority Director Michael Patrick proposed to the county commission at its May 11 agenda session.
The $15 million, received through the American Rescue Plan Act, will be split among three projects, with $9 million going to the Signal Mountain project and $3 million each to the Middle Valley and East Brainerd projects. The Hamilton County Commission will vote Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. on a resolution to allocate the money.
All three projects will address significant issues with infiltration and inflow, or excess water that flows into the sewer system from groundwater and stormwater that overwhelms the system and causes overflows. Flow monitoring is used to determine which areas will benefit most from sewer rehabilitation projects, Patrick said.
The Signal Mountain project will remove sewer lines from Shoal Creek and Bee Branch, where frequent overflows occur.