The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) on Friday announced 131 grants totaling $299,228,167 from the state’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) fund, part of which TDEC is administering in the form of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure grants. Since August, TDEC has awarded and announced $933,632,711 in grant funds through ARP programming.
Of the 131 grants, 29 are collaborative grants and 102 are non-collaborative grants. Collaborative grants involve multiple entities (cities, counties, or water utilities) partnering on projects to work toward a shared purpose. All grants awarded represent 469 individual drinking water, wastewater, and/or stormwater infrastructure projects.
Tennessee received $3.725 billion from the ARP, and the state’s Financial Stimulus Accountability Group dedicated $1.35 billion of those funds to TDEC to support water projects in communities throughout Tennessee. Of the $1.35 billion, approximately $1 billion was designated for non-competitive formula-based grants offered to counties and eligible cities to address systems’ critical needs. Those include developing Asset Management Plans, addressing significant non-compliance, updating aging infrastructure, mitigating water loss for drinking water systems, and reducing inflow and infiltration for wastewater systems.
The grants are part of the $1 billion non-competitive grant program. The remaining funds ($269 million) will go to state-initiated projects and competitive grants.
“As Tennessee continues to experience unprecedented growth, we’re prioritizing critical infrastructure investments that will address the needs of Tennesseans and give local communities the resources needed to thrive,” Governor Bill Lee said. “We look forward to the improvements these projects will bring, and we commend the communities who have gone through the application process.”
“More than ever, infrastructure is critically important to our local communities,” said Lt. Governor Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge. “This money will allow cities and towns to address deficiencies and make improvements that will pay dividends not just in the present but in the years to come as well. I greatly appreciate the work of the governor and my colleagues on the Financial Stimulus Accountability Group for their work in making sure these funds were spent appropriately and efficiently.”
“We continue experiencing considerable growth across the state, and many of our communities require additional resources to address their evolving needs,” said Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville. “These grants will play a major role in ensuring cities and towns have access to infrastructure solutions that will enable them to continue thriving so Tennessee remains a preferred destination for both businesses and families.”
“We are grateful to the local applicants, and we anticipate excellent results from these grants,” said TDEC Commissioner David Salyers. “This shows that Tennessee recognizes the need for improved water infrastructure, and we are grateful for the leadership of Governor Lee and the General Assembly in seeing that communities get this assistance.”
Grants include:
Bledsoe County, $2,119,000
Bledsoe County, in collaboration with Van Buren County, the City of Dayton, the Northwest Utility District, and the Fall Creek Falls Utility District, will use ARP funds to reduce water loss in the county. Projects include the relocation of water mains in the City of Dayton, construction of a new 300,000-gallon water tank with the Northwest Utility District, and repairs to Fall Creek Falls Utility District Water Treatment Plant.
Marion County, $1,708,249
Marion County, in collaboration with the Town of Jasper, the Town of Kimball, and the City of South Pittsburg, will use ARP funds to address critical needs and replace aging infrastructure. Projects include connecting water lines across the county through the installation of a new 12-inch water transmission line. The new water line connections will reduce breaks and leaks and control water loss if a major break or incident with the existing line were to occur.
City of Athens, $2,371,902
The City of Athens will use ARP funds to maintain the city's municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permit and address critical needs. Projects include the purchase of an asset management platform for the MS4 network, the completion of a stormwater master plan, and an MS4 utility feasibility study for adoption. The city will also engage in grey and green improvements to the primary MS4 drainage line in order to reduce sedimentation.
City of Collegedale, $1,403,121
The City of Collegedale will use ARP funds to modernize an aged pump station and develop a comprehensive Asset Management Plan. The pump station modernization project will consist of a thorough and complete analysis and assessment of current conditions and a recommendation and design of new system components. The Asset Management Plan will be created on a Geographic Information System (GIS) based platform, and a comprehensive system base map will be developed by digitizing existing paper maps.
City of Copperhill, $624,579
The City of Copperhill will use ARP funds to develop an Asset Management Plan and address areas of significant non-compliance. Projects include the replacement of pumps, motors, panelboards, sewage grinders, electrical, and sump pump and float controls, as well as piping and valving.
Town of Graysville, $731,440
The City of Graysville will use ARP funds to develop an Asset Management Plan and modernize aged water infrastructure. Projects include the replacement of 6-inch water lines along State Highway 303 in order to improve the city’s drinking water system through reducing continual breaks, water loss, and maintenance costs.
City of Lakesite, $677,865
The City of Lakesite will use ARP funds to make improvements to the community's stormwater system. Lakesite's stormwater project includes the reconstruction of a culvert to address water quality issues and protect the water quality of a local tributary.
McMinn County, $1,313,091
McMinn County will use ARP funds to develop Asset Management Plans and address significant non-compliance. Projects include IT infrastructure upgrades, including the installation of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, GIS system mapping, the repair and replacement of aged water lines, and inter-utility water interconnections. The county will also replace an aged water tank.
Town of Monteagle, $1,155,086
The town of Monteagle will use ARP funds to develop an Asset Management Plan and address critical wastewater system needs. Repairs will be made to the sanitary sewer system in order to mitigate excessive infiltration and inflow during wet weather events.
Polk County, $3,696,209
Polk County will use ARP funds to address critical needs, including water loss and infiltration and inflow reduction. Polk County will replace the booster station, storage tank, and zone meters in Isabella areas and replace and upsize failing and aged lines throughout the system including 11,200 linear feet of the Benton water system. Additionally, the City of Copperhill in Polk County will video inspect their entire sewer system in order to determine the infiltration and inflow locations within their sewer system.
Rhea County, $1,869,000
Rhea County will use ARP funds to develop an Asset Management Plan and modernize aged infrastructure. Projects include several water line connections and the construction of a new water tank.
City of Ridgeside, $583,803
The City of Ridgeside will use ARP funds to address significant non-compliance and issues identified in a State Consent Decree. Projects will address excessive infiltration and inflow and chronic sanitary sewer overflows and include the rehabilitation of approximately 1,200 feet of pipelines, 10 manholes, and 60 service laterals within identified priority basins.
Sequatchie County, $1,655,000
Sequatchie County will use ARP funds to address critical needs, including aging infrastructure and water loss. Sequatchie County will replace two water tanks, reducing water loss, and make improvements to low water pressure due to the elevation of the pump station on John Henry Lewis Road.