New Greenback sewer system plan

After nearly two decades of advocating, deliberating and planning … the city of Greenback finally broke ground on its new sewer system on Thursday, April 3.

Both City and County officials said it was a much-needed collaborative effort between the Loudon County Commission, Tellico Area Services System (TASS) and the city itself.

Close to 20 years ago, Loudon County funded putting in a sewer line and pump station intended for the then-new high school. Today, they’ve finally realized that plan — and the line will impact 64 different low-pressure sewer services throughout the city.

The project has been one that Greenback Mayor Dewayne Burchfield and Loudon County Commissioner Bill Satterfield have been pushing for almost their entire tenures as public officials. They say that the installation of these 64 new low-pressure pumps and sewer lines will hopefully alleviate the stressors of faulty lines during bad weather.

“A lot of homes cannot flush after a rain,” said Burchfield. “And they’re just at a standstill.

“It’s almost impossible to use the bathroom because it’ll back up. They’ve always had a problem.”

HINDRANCE TO LOCAL BUSINESS

Mark Clinton, the Superintendent at TASS, detailed the hindrance it provides to local businesses looking to establish themselves in the city as well. He said the city hopes that with the new addition of modernized plumbing and a more efficient way to get rid of wastewater, more local and commercial businesses will choose to invest in their community.

He went on to say that the city is hopeful that the new system will not only be a tremendous improvement of livelihood for their current residents, but also draw in some new ones as well.

“I love Greenback, it’s a beautiful community with great people in it,” Clinton said. “But if you said, ‘Hey, do you want to build your house down here?’ and I’m going to be faced with sewer and septic issues from now on, I wouldn’t do it.”

Clinton also explained that issues from the previous system also derived from the ground in Greenback itself. He said that the ground is unable to “perk,” meaning that once the solids in the sewer dissolve, the graywater collects on the field line and eventually the ground itself. Instead of going into the ground and dissipating, it saturates the soil.

With Bat Creek in such close proximity to Greenback’s downtown area, Clinton says that the new method’s utility extends far beyond convenience for the consumer and will help the community on an environmental level as well. Instead of wastewater going into the ground, the new pumps will transport it to TASS’s waste water treatment plant before it makes another stop at Niles Ferry Industrial Park in Vonore, where it will be treated properly before being dispensed back into Tellico Lake.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

A number of obstacles arose before this day could finally be realized. The first was acquiring grant money and various federal funds that were available to the city, while past city officials were averse to giving it the green light.

“Past mayors have not been as progressive as Dewayne,” said Clinton. “And maybe weren’t as aggressive in trying to get it.

“The fact of the matter is, we are where we are today because of Mr. Burchfield’s commitment to making it happen, Mr. [Bill] Satterfield’s commitment to making it happen and the Loudon County Commission for doing that match.”

The funding mostly came from federal grants, with about 70 percent originating from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that was granted by the federal government as a form of alleviation of the effects that COVID-19 had on local communities. The remaining 30 percent was matched by Loudon County Commission — totaling $2,108,515 for the whole project at the end of the day.

That being said, the cost for customers looking to obtain this sewer service isn’t nearly as high. Installation totals come to around $550, a payment that all initial 64 buyers paid upfront.

While the move didn’t receive unanimous approval from residents — with 114 potential installations being proposed, Clinton said that he thinks these first few will set a trend and it’s a step in the right direction for the city as a whole.

“There may be people that don’t want it for various reasons, and we all respect that,” Clinton said. “We’re just happy for those 64 that were able to get this.”

Construction and work on the project began just minutes after the groundbreaking ceremony — with crews targeting side roads and more secluded areas before the install at the main hub behind Greenback School.

The crew said they’re aiming to start that leg of the mission once school is out of session.