WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A troubled Williamson County water treatment plant that has racked up more than $100,000 in fines and violations over the past decade has finally submitted plans to state regulators for major upgrades.
The Limestone Water Treatment Plant in the Grassland area leaked nearly 200,000 gallons of raw sewage into the Harpeth River in March, followed by another 57,000 gallons in April. The incidents prompted updates that local leaders, neighbors and scientists say are long overdue.
"We got them all boots so they could stomp in the creek," said Steve Alexander, who bought his home 43 years ago partly because of Cartwright Creek running behind the property. But Alexander and his wife no longer allow their grandkids to play in the water because of sewage contamination.
"They put Band-Aids on it and Band-Aids on it and it took something that it was seeping out in the community before it was done," Alexander said.
The repeated sewage spills have frustrated residents like Alexander, who said the contamination is "obviously contaminating the neighborhood."
While neighbors welcome the submitted permits and plans, some remain skeptical about the timeline.
"That's great. I'm concerned it's taking so long," Alexander said.
"For everyone who's familiar, it's been a long time coming," said Dorie Bolze.
Dorie Bolze, president of the Harpeth Conservancy, is encouraging families to submit comments to the state and request a public hearing before the Oct. 30 deadline.
"The state can explain their process for doing this and the applicant this time. The sewer company can explain what their design is," Bolze said. "It just helps a lot of people understand better what's going on."
The buildout of the new plant will include technology never before used in Tennessee: Aerobic Granular Sludge membrane reactors. The technology is advertised to work quickly in small spaces.
"That will require the state to have training on how it operates. It isn't necessarily a bad thing that it's a new type of system, but it will be new to Tennessee," Bolze said.
Bolze plans to review the plans as a second set of eyes, especially since the timeline indicates construction during Tennessee's rainy season.
"While you're building a new sewer plant you still have to operate the existing one so everyone still flushing the toilet," Bolze said.
Neighbors hope the upcoming construction represents real solutions rather than temporary fixes.
"Make sure they understand it's important to people," Alexander said.
The public has until Oct. 30 to submit comments and request a public hearing on the proposed upgrades.
How to Request a Public Hearing:
Interested persons may request in writing that the Director of the Division of Water Resources hold a public hearing on any application. The request must be filed by the public notice expiration date (October 30, 2025) and must indicate the interest of the party filing it and the reasons why such a hearing is warranted. When there is significant public interest for a hearing, a hearing will be conducted according to Division of Water Resources Rule 0400-40-05-.06(12). Public hearings will be announced through another public notice.
How to Comment:
TDEC is requesting public comment on this permit action. Obtaining a broad range of facts and opinions on
Agency actions is one of the best ways to ensure quality decisions. Persons wishing to comment on the proposed action are invited to submit comments in writing to the Division of Water Resources at William R.
Snodgrass - Tennessee Tower, 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 11th Floor, Nashville, Tennessee 37243-1102, Attn:
Public Notice Coordinator, by fax number (615) 532-0686, or by E-mail at Water.Permits@tn.gov. Comments
must be received by the public notice expiration date (October 30, 2025).
Covering environmental issues that impact our communities is important to me. Email me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com with your concerns or story ideas about water quality, pollution, or infrastructure problems.
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