TDEC invests additional $125.9 million in water infrastructure investments
January 6, 2023; 7:33 p.m.

NASHVILLE, TN -- The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) today announced 24 grants totaling $125,954,007 from the state’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) fund, part of which TDEC is administering in the form of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure grants.

The grants announced today follow the announcement of 18 grants totaling $72,496,030 from the ARP fund in August and October, bringing the total awarded by TDEC year-to-date to $198,450,037. The grants announced today include two collaborative grants and 22 non-collaborative grants to execute drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure planning, design, and construction projects.

Tennessee received $3.725 billion from the ARP, and the state’s Financial Stimulus Accountability Group dedicated $1.35 billion of those funds to TDEC to support water projects in communities throughout Tennessee. Of the $1.35 billion, approximately $1 billion was designated for non-competitive formula-based grants offered to counties and eligible cities. The remaining funds will go to state-initiated projects and competitive grants.

“These grants will address important water infrastructure needs throughout our state, especially those among disadvantaged communities,” Gov. Bill Lee said. “We look forward to the improvements the projects will bring, and we commend the communities who have gone through the application process.”

“More than ever, infrastructure is critically important to our local communities,” said Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge. “This money will allow cities and towns to address deficiencies and make improvements that will pay dividends not just in the present but in the years to come as well. I greatly appreciate the work of the governor and my colleagues on the Fiscal Accountability Group for their work in making sure these funds were spent appropriately and efficiently.”

“We continue experiencing considerable growth across the state, and many of our communities require additional resources to address their evolving needs,” said Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville. “These grants will play a major role in ensuring cities and towns have access to infrastructure solutions that will enable them to continue thriving so Tennessee remains a preferred destination for both businesses and families.”

“We are grateful to the local applicants, and we anticipate excellent results from these grants,” said TDEC Commissioner David Salyers. “This shows that Tennessee recognizes the need for improved water infrastructure, and we are grateful for the leadership of Governor Lee and the General Assembly in seeing that communities get this assistance.”

Grants announced today are for:



Details for each award are:

Collaborative Grants

Carter County – $7,478,770
Carter County, in conjunction with the Carderview Utility District, City of Elizabethton, First Utility District of Carter County, Hampton Utility District, Peter’s Hollow Water System, Roan Mountain Utility District, Siam Utility District, South Elizabethton Utility District, and Watauga River Regional Water Authority, plan to utilize ARP funding to support 21 drinking water projects. These projects will address critical priority areas including the establishment of an Asset Management Plan, replacement of old water lines, and reducing significant water loss in the distribution system.

City of Cookeville – $5,341,691
The City of Cookeville, in collaboration with Putnam County, will leverage ARP and State Revolving Fund (SRF) funding for their Water Treatment Plant Expansion Project. The Water Treatment Plant currently serves over 100,000 residents and the expansion project will increase the capacity of the plant enabling it to serve more residents.


Non-Collaborative Grants

City of Bluff City – $747,874
The City of Bluff City will utilize ARP funds to address critical needs identified for updates to the Water Treatment Plant (WTP). Bluff City will complete multiple projects to comprehensively repair and upgrade the WTP. Projects include the installation of a systems control and data acquisition system, an automated raw water bypass, and new turbidimeters. Bluff City is also pursuing State Revolving Fund funding to complete an Asset Management Plan.

City of Brentwood – $2,201,675
The City of Brentwood will use ARP funding for a drinking water infrastructure improvement project. This project will directly support improvements to water infrastructure quality, address water loss reduction, and plans for the replacement of lead service lines for drinking water systems.

Town of Byrdstown – $3,365,267
The Town of Byrdstown will leverage ARP, SRF, USDA, and Appalachian Regional Commission grant funding to complete a drinking water project and a wastewater project. Critical needs will be addressed through the addition of a sedimentation basin and backwash lagoon to optimize water treatment, as well as through sewer system improvements to reduce overflows and bypassing of treatment within the sewer collection and wastewater plant.

Carroll County – $260,869
Carroll County will leverage ARP funds for its drinking water utility district to develop an Asset Management Plan (AMP). The AMP will use a Geographic Information System (GIS) to leverage existing paper maps and field data to develop a water system base map. Once constructed, the active AMP and GIS will allow the district to track the age and repair history of its infrastructure.

City of Columbia – $4,819,505
The City of Columbia will use ARP funds for three wastewater projects to address the two critical needs of the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) age and sewer line age. The funding will cover design costs to renovate and expand the WTP to improve on its current 83 percent capacity, construction costs to renovate and replace old sewer lines, as well as replacement of the Duck River sewage pumping station.

City of Elizabethton – $2,431,279
The City of Elizabethton plans to utilize ARP funding to complete the second phase of its water meter installation project. This project will allow continuous monitoring of the system through customer meters, production meters, and zone meters at pump stations and greatly reduce losses from unexpected leaks.

City of Gatlinburg – $403,670
The City of Gatlinburg will use ARP funds to improve the city’s water treatment and distribution system and its wastewater collection system. These funds will address Gatlinburg’s current critical needs through projects such as water loss and leak detection services, distribution system Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping updates, and a water treatment plant facility assessment.

City of Harriman – $3,191,759
The City of Harriman will utilize ARP funding and transferred dollars from the Town of Oakdale, Roane County, and Morgan County to address critical needs in the city’s water and wastewater systems. Harriman will develop an Asset Management Plan, eliminate excessive water loss, upgrade failing equipment, replace asbestos and potential lead containing distribution lines, and reduce excessive infiltration and inflow (I/I) from the wastewater collection system.

Town of Jonesborough – $1,005,596
The Town of Jonesborough will use ARP funds to replace approximately 13,000 system meters with new automatic meters that allow for more accurate readings. This drinking water project will reduce water loss and provide more efficient use of personnel by reducing the time required to manually read existing meters.

City of Kingsport – $6,955,642
The City of Kingsport will use ARP funds to address water loss reduction, infiltration and inflow (I/I) reduction, modernization of equipment, and stormwater master planning. The funds will be used to complete three drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects.

City of Lebanon – $3,979,492
The City of Lebanon will utilize ARP funding to address three critical needs including drinking water treatment plant age, wastewater treatment plant age, and excessive infiltration and inflow (I/I).

City of Manchester – $1,647,819
The City of Manchester will use ARP funds to develop an Asset Management Plan (AMP) and conduct modernization of the wastewater system, addressing its critical needs. These projects will involve outlining all system components and providing condition assessment data through the AMP. Manchester will also replace significant sections of older sanitary sewer lines and manholes through the wastewater system modernization project to reduce excessive infiltration and inflow (I/I) of wastewater to the treatment plant.

City of Martin – $3,066,446
The City of Martin will use ARP funds and transferred dollars from Weakley County to conduct six drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. These projects include developing an Asset Management Plan for the wastewater system, eliminating asbestos cement water lines in the distribution system, replacing wastewater system lines that are over 50 years old, and replacing deteriorated drains that could lead to sink holes.

City of McMinnville – $2,515,822
The City of McMinnville will use ARP and SRF funds to conduct a large-scale drinking water project to address the city’s critical needs. This project will replace the existing filter building and laboratory, upgrade the existing settling basins, rehabilitate the existing chemical storage building, and upgrade the pumps and piping at the raw water intake.

Morgan County – $5,084,639
Morgan County will use ARP funds and dollars transferred from the City of Wartburg, to address critical needs for a variety of county utility systems. These projects will improve wastewater and drinking water systems across four utility systems and most notably complete three Asset Management Plans. Responsible parties include the Cumberland Utility District, the Plateau Utility District, Morgan County Coalfield Wastewater System, and the City of Wartburg Sewer System.

Metro Nashville Davidson – $63,418,244
Metro Nashville Davidson will use ARP funds to facilitate a planning, design, and construction wastewater system project. This project involves replacing the current headworks system and installing a Class A biosolids facility, increasing capacity of the headworks system to treat and process projected peak flows.

City of Newbern – $1,426,282
The City of Newbern will utilize ARP funding and transferred dollars from Dyer County to develop an Asset Management Plan and to modernize drinking water and wastewater lines. Newbern’s three projects will reduce water loss by replacing water lines and meters that are over 50 years old.

City of Oak Hill – $738,569
The City of Oak Hill is currently developing a stormwater master plan and will utilize ARP funding for construction costs of projects identified in the plan. The stormwater master plan will identify assets in the city’s stormwater system in need of repair or replacement. Projects will include culvert replacement and repair, swale repair or rehabilitation, and retention pond projects.

Town of Obion – $702,241
The Town of Obion will leverage ARP, State Revolving Fund, and Community Development Block Grants funding to replace critical, aging water lines. This drinking water project will replace approximately 6,800 linear feet of existing galvanized service lines that may contain lead with a new 6-inch PVC water main.

Town of Rogersville – $1,864,744
The Town of Rogersville will utilize ARP and SRF funding to replace aging sanitary sewer infrastructure and upgrade waterlines. Rogersville’s wastewater project will supplement ongoing sewer rehabilitation projects. Rogersville also plans to address critical drinking water needs by replacing aging and leaking water lines and completing an Asset Management Plan.

City of Springfield – $2,479,962
The City of Springfield will leverage ARP funds to proactively address the critical capacity needs at the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). This project will build on existing initiatives to expand the 36-year-old plant and improve operational problems related to WWTP’s age.

Town of Surgoinsville – $826,137
The Town of Surgoinsville will utilize ARP funding and transferred dollars from Hawkins County to support two wastewater projects and the creation of an Asset Management Plan. Critical sewer needs will be addressed through the extension of sewer lines and the replacement of flow meters to help modernize Surgoinsville’s wastewater management system.


TDEC is focusing these grants on the following goals:

• Protect and promote human health and safety and improve the quality of water by supporting water systems in non-compliance to work toward compliance with water quality requirements;
• Improve the technical, managerial, and financial capabilities of small, disadvantaged, or underserved water infrastructure systems; and
• Address critical water infrastructure needs across the state

TDEC’s strategy for deployment of ARP funds is described in the Water Infrastructure Investment Plan. This plan was developed by TDEC based on input from leaders and experts from agencies internal and external to state government. All funds from the ARP must be obligated by Dec. 31, 2024 and expended by Dec. 31, 2026.