Quality. Water. Life.
Chattanooga, once known as the most polluted city in America, is a celebrated renaissance community. The natural resources that frame the city – the Scenic City – The Tennessee River, Lookout and Signal Mountains – combined with the Riverwalk and Greenways make Chattanooga a great place to live, work and play.
Chattanooga returned to its roots – the Tennessee River – and constructed the country’s only freshwater aquarium. The Tennessee River is the beating heart of Chattanooga’s outdoor recreation, transforming the city into an urban playground. From paddling the Tennessee River Blueway to biking the 13-mile paved Tennessee Riverpark or enjoying the River Games in the summer, it offers endless ways to explore the Scenic City. Chattanooga is famous in the triathlon world for hosting both the IRONMAN 70.3 and the Full IRONMAN each year, with the signature swim portion for both races taking place in the Tennessee River.
All these activities centered around the River are made possible by the City’s massive ongoing $1.1+ billion Clear Chattanooga Program. These major infrastructure upgrades, operated at the Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus, significantly reduce raw sewage overflows, keeping bacteria levels in the Tennessee River safe for Chattanoogans, visitors, and the IRONMAN swim competitors.
This development sparked a continued commitment to use the natural resources of the community as the foundation for Chattanooga being recognized as a great mid-size city. Chattanooga officially made history in 2025 as the first National Park City in North America. The Clear Chattanooga Program fully aligns with Mayor Tim Kelly’s One Chattanooga Vision.
Project Highlight
Project Highlight
Project Highlight
Why Clear Chattanooga
Back in the 2010s, portions of the City’s wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure were approaching or reaching the end of their useful life, including deteriorated pipes and manholes. During heavy rains, a high volume of unwanted stormwater enters the wastewater system through cracks and other structural damage, overwhelming the system. This can cause Sanitary Sewer Overflows (or SSOs) at certain manholes and directly into rivers, streams, streets, and yards. Sanitary Sewer Overflows pose potential public health risks, contribute to water quality problems in our environment, and can cause significant property damage.
The Consent Decree
To address the SSO issue, the City of Chattanooga agreed to enter a Consent Decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the State of Tennessee and the Tennessee Clean Water Network (TCWN) on April 24, 2013. The overarching goal of this legal agreement is to significantly reduce, and where possible eliminate, these overflows and improve the overall operations of the sewer system.
The Clear Chattanooga Program
Under the Consent Decree, the City embarked on a 17-year journey, called the Clear Chattanooga Program, to renew the system:
– Inspect and evaluate about 2 million feet of pipes and manholes
– Rehabilitate more than 150 miles of damaged pipes
– Upgrade the capacity and improve the reliability of 30 out of the 70 pump stations in the system
– Build 75 million gallons of storage
– Enhance the treatment capacity and quality at the wastewater treatment plant (now known as the Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus).
The Clear Chattanooga Program has managed to reduce Sanitary Sewer Overflows by about 90% to date.
Public Document Repository
Pursuant to the CD, the City of Chattanooga posts required deliverables in this Public Document Repository (PDR) for public comment. You can provide your comments during a 30-day period. Documents related to these deliverables are also available at the Chattanooga Public Library – Downtown Branch located at 1001 Broad St Chattanooga, TN. Both this web page and the documents on file at the downtown library are updated as the projects move forward.
Committed to Change
The City of Chattanooga is committed to providing the best water quality and wastewater service. Clear Chattanooga is the City’s community-wide improvement plan to decrease the number of SSOs and to meet the terms of its Consent Decree agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency, the State of Tennessee and the Tennessee Clean Water Network (TCWN).
The Solution
Clear Chattanooga includes major upgrades and revisions to portions of the wastewater system including pipe rehabilitation, pump station improvements, upgrades to the Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus and comprehensive operational audits.
Clear Chattanooga’s Comprehensive 3R Approach:
Restore
optimal functionality and capacity to the wastewater system.
Repair
the system and prevent chronic overflows.
Replace
aging infrastructure that is beyond good use.
Kanasita Drive Wet-Weather Storage Facility
E2I2 West Chickamauga Wastewater Project
Hamm Road Equalization and Pump Station Facility
The Benefits of Clear Chattanooga
These improvements to the City’s wastewater infrastructure are vital to the system’s health and the City’s future. They will enhance the community’s quality of life and make Chattanooga an even better place to live, work and play.
Clear Chattanooga will
Support the City’s commitment to protect our community’s water quality through the significant reduction of Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs).
Restore the wastewater treatment infrastructure necessary to sustain regional growth demands.
Help facilitate a healthy, thriving population free from water-related environmental threats.
Provide up-to-date information regarding ongoing infrastructure projects, along with opportunities to provide feedback.
Ultimately, Clear Chattanooga
Improves quality of life for all Chattanooga citizens.
Creates more inviting recreational activities.
Preserves and protects the most prized possession of our city – the natural environment.
