Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Sewer topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bluff City approves task order to scope sewer line and lift-station issues near town hall
Summary
The board unanimously approved a professional-services task order to camera and scope roughly 1,400 linear feet of sewer line and to check capacity at local pump/lift stations after repeated overflows; TDEC and engineering support were cited and staff said EPA assistance may be requested.
The Bluff City Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously approved a professional-services task order (Task Order 5) to scope and camera a roughly 1,400-linear-foot sewer line segment and to assess pump-station capacity linked to recurring sewage discharges near Town Hall.
Town staff said the task order responds to ongoing sanitary-sewer issues in the area across from Town Hall, along line segments that run past the Chase property and down toward the Moore property. The task order includes closed-circuit-television (CCTV) inspection of the gravity main and checks of pumps at the Igloo pump station; staff said the scoping work will identify breaks, sags and other defects and confirm whether pumps are operating at required capacity.
Staff told the board they had consulted Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) staff and engineers (Mattern & Craig) and that TDEC offered information about grants and technical assistance. Staff also said they had requested EPA assistance, which can provide a technical second opinion and help small communities plan repairs. The scope includes camera inspection, potential additional smoke testing, and integration of results into the town’s GIS mapping.
A town representative said smoke testing had been done in 2016 and that many findings were residential laterals; staff said they could provide the 2016 report to board members. The CCTV scope would show joint failures, sags caused by subsurface voids and other defects not visible from the surface. Staff estimated results would be returned within 40–45 days after work starts. Board members asked whether multiple pump stations would be checked; staff said the initial scope focuses on the Igloo pump station (the line that runs past Town Hall and down toward the ball field) but that engineers could extend inspection if initial findings require it.
Board members approved the task order unanimously and asked staff for supporting documentation and cost information. Staff said funds for the work already exist in the current budget, and because the expense is within the town‑manager spending threshold the authorization was a single‑action approval rather than a two‑reading ordinance.
Members of the public thanked staff for progress; speakers urged the board to consider financial assistance for residents where laterals are found to be the source of infiltration. Staff said grant programs were available but cautioned that grant availability fluctuates and that eligibility and timelines vary by program.
