CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Chattanooga Wastewater crews are scheduled to begin repairs Friday to damaged sewer infrastructure feeding an overflow into South Chickamauga Creek, after a bypass pumping system significantly reduced a sanitary sewer overflow but did not fully stop the discharge.
The city says access to the affected area remains restricted while crews prepare to enter a confined space to access the damaged infrastructure. The Chattanooga Fire Department will be on site to provide standby support. Officials say the work needs specialized equipment and safety procedures because of challenging conditions at the remote site.
South Chickamauga Creek remains closed to all recreational activities downstream of the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway pedestrian crossing. Access to the Tennessee River also remains restricted in the affected reach, while areas upstream of the pedestrian crossing remain open. The recreational closure will remain in effect until at least Wednesday morning, October 14, pending water sampling and pollution analysis.
Officials say the source of the discharge was identified visually in the field, so sampling was not needed to locate the problem. Water sampling and pollution analysis are still being conducted to assess water quality and decide when recreation can safely resume. At this time, officials say there are no immediate risks to aquatic life.
A parallel local account said aging pipes installed in the early 1970s are likely responsible and that an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 gallons of wastewater into South Chickamauga Creek have entered the waterway. Mark Heinzer with the Chattanooga Wastewater Department said replacing pipes beneath the creek would be a significant project estimated to cost between $5 million and $7 million and could take place within the next two years if it moves forward.
Local 3 reporting placed the spill start last Wednesday, Sept. 30, first as a small trickle that grew, and quoted Heinzer saying the pipes are 50-plus years old and that age appears to be the issue. Crews have been installing a temporary bypass using more than 500 feet of pipe to reroute the sewage, with materials carried in by hand because the site is remote. Heinzer said crews have been working from dawn until dusk and that the goal is zero gallons released.
The city has said permanent repairs to the aging infrastructure are already in planning, with a full replacement project that isn’t expected until 2027 or 2028 and could cost between five and seven million dollars. City officials also said the public was not notified until two days later because of communication with the state environmental agency and an early assessment that the spill did not pose a significant threat; going forward they say preliminary notices will go out immediately even while details are still being gathered.
For paddlers and greenway users in Chattanooga, the message is simple: stay out of the closed stretch until sampling clears the water. Upstream of the pedestrian crossing remains open, but anything downstream of that bridge and the linked Tennessee River access stays off-limits through at least mid-October.
