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Water and Sewer director details multi‑year capital projects and grant opportunities
Summary
Water and Sewer Director John Lane updated the commission on completed and upcoming capital projects — tank recoatings, pump station upgrades, major pipeline upsizing and grant applications — and said several projects are on track for 2026 bidding and construction.
John Lane, director of Water and Sewer Services, presented the department’s annual capital projects update on Dec. 4, describing completed work and an array of projects slated for 2026–2029.
Highlights included tank rehabilitations (Gray, Liberty Bell, Limestone Cove) completed under budget; the West Walnut Street water and sewer replacement project, completed $1.8 million under budget after four years of work; and major pump station upgrades such as Sinking Creek (handling roughly 2 million gallons per day on average and peaking at about 7 million gpd), a project Lane described as approximately $9 million and nearly complete.
Lane described large‑diameter pipeline projects in planning or design: a 30‑inch sewer pipeline of roughly 14,000 feet that required numerous easements (Lane said the last easement was obtained recently) and the Lower Boones Creek interceptor project to upsize an existing line to 24 inches for about 12,000 feet to support growth in the Boones Creek corridor. Several projects have grant prospects, including a submitted $2 million grant application for pressure‑zone upgrades.
Lane said work on sewer rehabilitation, galvanized replacement and other forced‑account projects will continue, and he described coordination with Public Works and TDOT on railroad crossings, bridge waterline upsizing and other timing issues. Commissioners asked about remaining galvanized pipe replacement; Lane estimated roughly 200,000 linear feet remain and said each replacement extends system life by decades.
Outcome: The update was received; no formal vote was required. Lane said many projects are expected to advertise for bid in 2026 and that staff will return with contract and scheduling items as they move to procurement.
Quote: "Hopefully, another 50 plus years every time we do that," Lane said of upsizing pipe diameters to increase capacity.
Next steps: Projects with grant opportunities will proceed with final applications and staff will bring bids and contracting items to the commission for approval as needed.
