Clear Chattanooga @ Work

Equalization Stations

Program Map

External link to Project Locations and Details

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 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. 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.

Project Highlight

Overflowing Manhole

The Current Problem

Portions of our wastewater infrastructure system are reaching the end of their useful life. This contributes to failures in the wastewater system. These occurrences mostly happen during heavy rains when the high volume of stormwater and wastewater overwhelm the system. This can lead to sanitary sewer overflows (or SSOs). SSOs pose a potential threat to public health and impact our local environment.

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). 
What is the Consent Decree?
Public Document Repository
Download the Consent Decree

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:
3R - Restore

Restore

optimal functionality and capacity to the wastewater system.

3R - Repair

Repair

the system and prevent chronic overflows.

3R - Replace

Replace

aging infrastructure that is beyond good use.

Clear Chattanooga’s 3R approach is being managed in two major phases.

Phase 1 involves the rehabilitation of high-priority wastewater pipelines, upgrades to pump stations, reliability and capacity improvements to the Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus and the installation of high-priority equalization stations in areas with recurring SSOs. These stations will temporarily store the excess wastewater and stormwater following heavy rain events until the system can handle it.

Phase 2 includes the continued repair and replacement of wastewater pipelines throughout the system and the installation of the remaining planned equalization stations.

Consent Decree Program Update Story Map
Check out our work in your area on our Program Map
Friars Branch

Friar’s Branch

Moccasin Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant

Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus

Citico PS Reliability Project
Citico Pump Station Reliability Project

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.

Man and Woman kayaking on the river together