Newport accepts $1.7 million in state ARPA funds for wastewater pipe replacements

Newport officials voted to accept $1.7 million in state American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay for wastewater infrastructure replacement after staff described two problem areas affecting the city’s sewer system.

City Administrator James Finchum told the council that the funds — a noncompetitive allocation from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation — can be applied to wastewater and related infrastructure and that Newport submitted a project proposal limited to the $1.7 million allocation. Finchum said the city will accept the funds and that any cost overruns would be borne by the project owner. "Newport was allocated $1.7 million in 2020 for ... Wastewater drinking water and storm water," Finchum said, explaining the decision to focus on a project in Richland Park with a preliminary engineering report already prepared.

The staff presentation said two failing sewer runs (one in Northport and one in Richland Park) allow infiltration during rain events and that the state required repairs. Finchum said the city’s submission trimmed an originally larger scope to match the state allocation and that private partners already hired an engineer to prepare detailed plans. "We're only going to do a project that is $1.7 million just as much as we've got; any overrun it's going to be on [the owner's] back," Finchum said.

Council approved the resolution on a roll-call vote. The resolution directs staff to accept the TDEC/ARPA funds, complete required paperwork and present the final project scope for council approval once engineering is complete.

What happens next: Staff said they will return to the council with the finalized project scope and contract documents for formal approval before construction. The funding acceptance does not itself authorize construction or expenditure beyond accepting the award and preparing a city-level scope and contract.