Chattanooga to spend $250 million on sewage improvements

   Under a settlement with the federal government and the state of Tennessee, the city of Chattanooga has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $475,400 to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and to spend an estimated $250 million on extensive improvements to the city’s sewage system that will be designed to eliminate unauthorized overflows of raw sewage. As part of the settlement, the city has agreed to implement a green infrastructure plan involving the improvement of water quality in the historic downtown Highland Park neighborhood and to undertake an $800,000 stream restoration project in the city. “The agreement prioritizes neighborhood sewer rehabilitation projects and utilizes innovative stormwater controls in the urban core, reducing sewer overflows and overall reducing threats to public health posed by untreated sewage,” said Ignacia Moreno, assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.