LEBANON, Tenn. (WTVF) — A new elementary school in Wilson County is set to open its doors on August 1, 2025, despite not having a permanent sewage system in place.
LaGuardo Elementary has experienced significant challenges in the permitting process for its sewage system.
Click here for in-depth coverage about that process.
LaGuardo Elementary, which is not part of the city of Lebanon, may have to rely on a temporary solution with help from the nearby community.
"Wilson County School System reached out to us and explained they were having an issue getting their sewage system approved," said Lebanon mayor Rick Bell.
According to Mayor Bell, the temporary arrangement will involve pumping out sewage and hauling it to a water treatment facility in Lebanon.
"In this agreement with them, it is for three months, but also there is a possibility to extend it another three months, as long as they are constructing and are close to getting that situation resolved," Lebanon Mayor Rick Bell said.
The cost of this temporary fix is substantial, with Wilson County Schools estimating $50,000 a month for the service.
"We consider this a utility fee. And we really can't waive utility fees. As I said, septic companies do this all the time," Bell said.
The Lebanon facility treats the sewage until it's safe to be piped into the Cumberland River, while the permanent system intended for LaGuardo would work differently.
Chris Leauber with the Water and Wastewater Authority of Wilson County explained that the permanent system would treat water at a nearby facility, then allow it to drip into groundwater through soil.
"The school has additional soils there that are being approved," said Leauber, Executive Director of the Water and Wastewater Authority of Wilson County.
Despite the temporary arrangement, school operations should proceed normally for students.
"My understanding, they would pump out at night, so there's no interference with the school operations. You know, commodes are going to flush. Everything's going to look normal," Leauber said.
Mayor Bell emphasized community cooperation during this period.
"This is really a team effort to make sure the school can get open and running. And, you know, kids can go there to learn," Bell said.
Wilson County Schools has expressed confidence that their temporary solution will be safe for everyone while they await approval for their permanent sewage system.
They offered the following statement on the situation.
“While the outside permitting process continues to be resolved, we are fully focused on our first day back on August 1st, including all teachers, staff and students at LaGuardo Elementary. The temporary pump and haul sewage system was not what we envisioned to open the new school, but we feel very confident that this common method will be safe for everyone as we continue to navigate towards the permanent removal system.”
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation said they are working to issue a permit for the pump and haul process. TDEC provided us with the following statement about this temporary fix.
"The current plan to serve the school’s opening date of August 1 is through an interim method of wastewater removal until a permanent method can be permitted. TDEC is working through the process to issue a pump and haul permit for a six-month period to allow trucks to enter the property, pump out the accumulate sewage and haul it to a permitted facility that can manage the volume. The City of Lebanon has agreed to provide temporary support through its public sewer capacity. The pump and haul permit is now under public notice [tn.gov]."
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
This story was reported on-air by Robb Coles 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.
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