WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Cleanup is now complete after a privately owned wastewater treatment plant in Williamson County leaked raw sewage into the Harpeth River, but state documents reveal the troubled facility has a history of violations dating back more than 10 years.
The Limestone Water Treatment Plant has accumulated dozens of violations and more than $100,000 in fines from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) since 2014.
"This is not a political issue. This is a community health and safety issue," said Williamson County Commissioner Drew Torres.
Records obtained by NewsChannel 5 show TDEC cited the plant for 68 sewage violations in 2018 alone. While that number improved to 29 violations by 2022, the problems have persisted.
"That just sounds like a subpar operation quite candidly," Torres said.
The violations include the use of broken and corroded equipment, staff using moldy tools, and lab samples stored next to food and drink.
The Harpeth Conservancy says the fines levied against the company likely represent just a fraction of the total costs, as county cleanup expenses have accumulated over the years as well.
Limestone has provided county leaders with renderings of a planned facility upgrade, claiming they're in the final phase of the TDEC permitting process with groundbreaking scheduled for November.
"I would like to see more of a project plan, not just a groundbreaking. What's the end of your timeline?" Torres questioned.
Neighbors who have been dealing with sewage odors for the past month are skeptical of the company's promises.
"I don't believe any of that. They've just stalled and stalled and stalled," said one resident.
"They've been very deceiving to us. They lied to us. They're inconsistent in what they say," another neighbor added.
Residents say the plant has been problematic for more than a decade.
"This is awful. This is awful. This is inexcusable is really what it is," a frustrated neighbor said. "All sorts of lives are being negatively affected here."
Central States Water Resources owns the Limestone plant. NewsChannel 5 reached out to them for comment but has not yet received a response.
Have you experienced issues with the Limestone Water Treatment Plant or noticed problems with water quality in the Harpeth River? Email me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com to share your story and help our ongoing investigation.
This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
