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Oakland director's order prompts $16,500 fine as new wastewater plant nears completion
Summary
Town wastewater director told the Board of Aldermen the state issued a director’s order and a $16,500 fine even as workers tied new piping and put flow into new basins; town expects to be released from the order after plant completion.
Mister Coker, Oakland’s wastewater director, told the Board of Aldermen that the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation placed the town under a director’s order and assessed a $16,500 fine while crews complete tie‑ins on a new wastewater treatment plant.
Coker said crews this month put flow to two new basins for the first time and began pipe tie‑ins that required coordination with pump trucks and temporary lift‑station operations. He said the town currently has three pump trucks in use to maintain flows while work continues. Coker told the board the town is roughly 75% finished with the plant and that engineers submitted the corrective action plan required by the state.
The director’s order follows previous enforcement steps the town faced, Coker said, including a consent decree entered before his tenure. He said the town’s violations decreased by about 60% even while the plant handled increased load and construction disruptions, and he described the state inspection as a “surprise inspection” that preceded the director’s order.
When asked how long the town would remain under directives if construction had not progressed, Coker said being 75% complete and submitting the engineering corrective action plan limits the duration; he estimated the town could be under the directives for roughly six months and said the town hopes to be out from under the director’s order by mid‑next year.
Coker recommended paying the assessed fine and moving ahead with plant commissioning rather than pursuing an appeal. He framed the decision as pragmatic for the town’s ability to finish the plant and resume normal regulatory status.
Board members and staff praised public‑works crews for long hours on the tie‑ins. Coker singled out collection system supervisor Cornelius Allen and staff members who logged extended shifts to keep lift stations operational during the work. He said the system still requires one motor replacement to restore all lift stations to full operation and repeated the estimate that the new plant will be operational in about six months.
No formal board action was recorded on the director’s order during the meeting; the item was presented as an informational department report and update on plant construction.
