New Franklin sewer plant

Franklin sewer plant would be unique in state
THE TENNESSEAN • November 19, 2008

FRANKLIN — A "zero-discharge" sewer plant that will one day serve thousands of homes and businesses in south Franklin's Goose Creek area is expected to be the largest and most expensive public works project in city history.
While no costs have been set, the 400 million-gallon facility could ultimately cost in excess of $80 million, take years to build and require the cooperation of city and state environmental regulators along the way. When complete, it would be unlike any other plant in the state.

That kind of importance has drawn added scrutiny from Mayor John Schroer and city aldermen.
Instead of accepting a committee's pick for the consulting firm to handle the project last month as expected, Schroer and city aldermen changed course and asked to have the top three design firms make their pitches for the project again, this time to all the city aldermen.
"If we're going to make that big of a decision, I felt like it was good to listen to all those proposals," Schroer said.
Proposals from the top three design firms are scheduled to be heard next week.
Getting the land needed for the project took months and cost millions. Yet the challenges for engineers to build what could be a 400 million-gallon zero-discharge sewer plant on 188 acres near the Goose Creek bypass will be even more formidable.
A zero-discharge plant requires that the treated wastewater effluent not be released into a river or stream like a traditional sewer plant. In this case, the stream that effluent would not enter is the environmentally fragile Harpeth River, which has had its share of troubles over the years.
State Department of Environment and Conservation spokeswoman Meg Lockhart said top state and city officials have had several discussions about the wastewater project.
When completed, Franklin's zero-discharge plant would be unlike any other in the state.
"We've been told that we will work with (Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation) and all the powers that be, and we will be writing the regulations as we go along," Schroer said.
However, Lockhart said state officials don't expect to need new regulations but, instead, will give Franklin a special permit for the plant.
Work could take 2 years
Permits for a nondischarging system will vary from system to system, because all are site specific, Lockhart noted.
Franklin's system will be unique to others that are planned or operating in the state.
Murfreesboro has bought land for wastewater disposal, while the town of Spencer's reclaimed water will infiltrates into groundwater.
"Zero-discharge systems differ from discharging systems only in the method by which they dispose of the treated water," Lockhart said. "It's what is done to the finished water that is different."
Completing the work will be another long-range project for Franklin.
Schroer estimated the first phase would cost $20 million, with three other similar phases rounding out the work.
All told, the work could take two years, with construction possibly starting in 2010 or 2011, city Engineering Director Eric Gardner said.
But the project remains on hold for the time being. Schroer and the other city aldermen delayed in October approving a recommendation to possibly build the new plant in favor of personally hearing presentations from the top three consultants vying for the job.

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