Spring Hill leaders weigh alternative wastewater systems, fee offsets and capacity transfers as TDEC consent order nears

City of Spring Hill leaders spent the July 21 work session hashing out several parallel plans to limit sewer connections while keeping some vested residential projects moving, as an expected Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) consent order approaches.

The proposals discussed ranged from case-by-case memoranda of understanding (MOUs) for on-site alternative wastewater treatment to a pooled system serving multiple vested developments and a program to offset sewer development fees against construction of alternative infrastructure.

Taken together the items are intended to give the city and the development community temporary tools to manage sewage flows without adding load to the existing wastewater treatment plant while long‑term projects — including an advanced purification pilot — proceed. City staff said the proposals are not automatic approvals of sewer capacity and would be structured to preserve the city’s oversight and, where appropriate, to have the infrastructure dedicated to the utility.

“Future connection will be made at developer’s expense,” staff legal counsel and municipal staff told the board while describing draft MOU language. Staff emphasized the MOUs would be preliminary, site‑specific agreements to decide whether further engineering work should proceed.

Why it matters: Spring Hill is preparing for enforcement action by TDEC that staff said will include fines, a connection moratorium and required remediation. Several large, already‑vested subdivisions are near or at entitlement; without options, developers have warned building schedules will be disrupted. The board and staff described the current effort as balancing legal compliance, public health and fairness to vested projects.

Key elements discussed

- Cameron Land LLC MOU: Staff highlighted preliminary soils testing…