City leaders, project partners, and community stakeholders gathered Thursday, June 11, to celebrate the completion of the Kanasita Equalization Station Project, a $45 million investment designed to reduce sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), strengthen wastewater infrastructure, and improve quality of life for residents in the Hamill Road corridor.

The project includes a new 5-million-gallon wet-weather equalization station that temporarily stores excess wastewater during heavy rain events until the system has capacity to safely convey and treat it. By capturing and storing peak wet-weather flows, the facility helps reduce sanitary sewer overflows before they reach roads, neighborhoods, and waterways.

The Project is a key component of Clear Chattanooga.

“When a major storm rolls through our city, most people are focused on getting home safely. What most people never see is the tremendous amount of activity happening beneath their feet,” said Wastewater Administrator Mark Heinzer. “An entire network of infrastructure is working around the clock to protect public health, safeguard neighborhoods, and keep our city moving forward.”

For years, this area experienced sanitary sewer overflows during periods of heavy rainfall when stormwater entered the wastewater system through cracks and aging infrastructure, overwhelming available capacity. The Kanasita EQ Station was constructed to address those long-standing challenges by providing temporary storage during major storm events.

“In simple terms, it gives the system room to breathe when it needs it most,” Heinzer said.

In addition to reducing sanitary sewer overflows, the project also addressed concerns raised by residents regarding the former Hixson #1 Pump Station on Adams Road. As part of the project, the aging facility was removed and replaced with a new pump station located on the Kanasita site within an industrial area. The new station features enclosed infrastructure and advanced carbon filtration technology designed to significantly reduce odor impacts on nearby neighborhoods.

“This project also reflects the importance of listening to residents,” said City of Chattanooga Chief Operating Officer Mande Green. “During community meetings held in 2018, residents shared concerns about the former pump station on Adams Road, including concerns about odor. As part of this project, that aging facility was replaced and relocated to this site, away from nearby homes and within an industrial area.”

While the project provides significant wastewater benefits, city officials emphasized that the facility is not a stormwater flood-control project.

The equalization basin is designed to reduce sanitary sewer overflows by temporarily storing excess wastewater during rain events. However, it does not control water levels in North Chickamauga Creek, and flooding along Hamill Road will continue to occur during major storm events as it has historically.

“This facility is designed to address sanitary sewer overflows. It is not a stormwater flood-control project,” Green said. “What this project accomplishes is a reduction in sanitary sewer overflows and the risks associated with them.”

The project was funded through a combination of local investment and state and federal support, including approximately $20 million through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s State Revolving Fund Loan Program and $16.7 million through an American Rescue Plan grant.

During the ceremony, City officials recognized the many organizations and individuals who contributed to the project’s success, including the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), Jacobs Engineering (City’s Program Manager), HDR (Engineer on the Project), Clark Construction (Contractor), Elizabeth Goss (City Project Manager), and the employees of the Chattanooga Wastewater Department.

Heinzer noted that while most residents may never notice the facility itself, its impact will be felt throughout the community for years to come.

“In many ways, the greatest success of this facility will be measured by what doesn’t happen—the overflows prevented, the odor concerns addressed, and the challenges residents never have to experience,” Heinzer said. “That is the promise of great infrastructure.”

From left to right: Lawrence Carter, Deputy Administrator; Jake McCrary, Senior Director; Mark Heinzer, Administrator; Jimmy Watts, Director of Operations; Alan Ogle, Director of Engineering, Wastewater Dept., City of Chattanooga.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognized Better Buildings Challenge partner City of Chattanooga, Tennessee for energy efficiency leadership across more than 200 of its municipal facilities. Chattanooga hosted DOE for a tour of its Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus to showcase its successful energy, water, and cost savings measures.

The City’s Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus exemplifies this ongoing commitment to efficiency. The campus manages and treats wastewater for six counties and is the largest energy consumer of the city’s owned and operated buildings. Beginning in 2018, the Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus underwent several structural improvements to ensure long-term effective wastewater treatment for its growing population and increase resilience in times of extreme events.

From left to right: Erik Schmidt, Director of Sustainability, City of Chattanooga; Maria T. Vargas, Director, Better Buildings & Better Plants Initiative, U.S. DOE; Mark Heinzer, Administrator, Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus, City of Chattanooga; Tim Kelly, Mayor of Chattanooga.