Sewer rates to increase as KS replaces aging infrastructure

A new report out by the Town of Kingston Springs offers residents an update on the city’s aging sewer system that serves roughly 750 residents. 

The Kingston Springs sewer system was established in 1989. The system is not available throughout all of Kingston Springs but services areas including downtown, Hillcrest, Bluffs of the Harpeth, Harpeth Hills, the Woodlands and Harpeth Meadows.

The sewer system was installed 35 years ago and while most of the above ground infrastructure – like the pump stations and sewer plant – has been replaced or repaired, most of the underground infrastructure –  sewer lines – has not.

Aging sewer lines can develop cracks and breaks that result in inflow and infiltration (I&I). This increased I&I causes the sewer system to operate above various limits of the licensing the town has through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).

The town estimates that it will cost just under $10 million to repair the sewer’s I&I issues. 

The $9.65 million project will take two steps: inspection and mapping of the sewer lines and repairing and replacing the sewer lines.

The town was recently awarded a $700,000 grant from TDEC. It plans to use $500,000 of that for its ongoing sewer modernization project. 

According to the report, the town installed Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems on all wastewater pump stations to analyze data that will better determine problem areas and allow the town to isolate sections in most need of repair. 

The town has recently worked with the Austin Peay GIS Center to digitally map the wastewater infrastructure that includes sewer lines and individual septic tanks. These are “living” maps and can be updated as additional information is gathered. 

“Using both data from the SCADA system and location gathering from our GIS mapping project the Wastewater Department has been able to determine potential problem areas in our system and isolate sections we feel may need to be repaired,” the report says.

“Once areas of interest are determined the lines are then thoroughly cleaned and a CCTV camera run through the lines to scope for any issues. The type of repair then needed depends on the severity of the issues found,” the report says. 

The town estimates spending an additional $1.56 million over the next three years on capital expenses, including a new sewer truck and replacing pump stations. 

The report also highlights the town’s work to potentially expand the sewer system. 

“In 2023 an analysis was done on potentially expanding the sewer system and increasing the customer base. The most reasonable path would be to expand along Mt. Pleasant Road to Simms Heights or the town limits,” the report says.

This expansion would cost over $4 million and add approximately 225-240 new customers. 

“Analyzing and repairing the Town’s wastewater infrastructure will be a long and expensive process,” the report concludes. “This work will primarily be funded by fees charged to the users of the system so rates will increase as this work continues. However, every effort is taken to use available funds efficiently, and the Town will continue to look for grant opportunities to assist with funding projects needed to maintain our wastewater system.”