House panel to look at bill limiting private sewer oversight
Published 12:25 pm Tuesday, June 2, 2020
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NASHVILLE (AP) — A bill that would block Tennessee’s Department of Environment and Conservation from regulating how some types of sewage treatment systems are designed and built is scheduled for a hearing in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday.
Decentralized wastewater systems are often used where municipal sewers are not available. They work by pumping liquid waste to an on-site treatment facility and then spraying or dripping it onto a field.
When the systems are poorly designed, the waste can pool on the surface or run off into nearby streams.
TDEC began working on design standards for the systems in 2018. The bill under consideration would take away TDEC’s power to impose those standards.
