Crews in Chattanooga, Tenn., are racing to stop a sewage overflow that city officials estimate will send 500,000 to 700,000 gallons into South Chickamauga Creek before it is contained.
The leak was still going Wednesday, about a week after it began. The city says the spill started on Sept. 30 as a small trickle before gradually increasing. Mark Heinzer, administrator of the Chattanooga Wastewater Department, said the pipes at the site were installed in the early 1970s and the failure appears to be an age issue.
To get around the damaged line, crews have fused together more than 500 feet of pipe, pulled it across the waterway and installed a new pump to carry the sewage through a temporary system. Heinzer said the remote site has no power, which has limited work to daylight hours, and materials have had to be brought in by hand. The department was considering adding generators and lights so crews could work after sundown.
Everything downstream of the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway pedestrian bridge remains closed to recreational activity. Testing for bacteria is expected to begin, with the city working with the state, though officials have yet to review water quality results.
Heinzer said he saw fish and turtles in the water during a Tuesday site visit and that the leak represents 0.02% of the creek’s total flow, while stressing that the department’s goal is always zero.
The department had flagged the pipes for replacement in March. A permanent fix is funded in its capital plan, but the replacement project is not expected until 2027 or 2028. Heinzer estimated a full repair will cost between $5 million and $7 million.