Baxter Seeking Federal Funds for Waste Water Treatment Upgrades

Baxter will seek federal funding to help improve the city’s waste water treatment plant.

City Engineer Tom Bennett said the project is much needed for the future growth of the community.

“The City of Baxter commissioned a study of their waste water treatment facility about a year ago in response to lots of development and things that are going on in Baxter,” Bennett said. “In the later part of 2018, we submitted that report to the Tennessee Department of Environment Conservation and were given approval about a week ago.”

Baxter’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted unanimously Thursday to apply for federal funds to help pay for improvements at the facility.

Bennett said the overall project would likely be done in phases and depends on Baxter’s future growth.

“Depending on how things develop here in Baxter, there could be many, many more phases over the years,” Bennett said. “So really, this is just the first phase approach for what we see at the table as well as what we’re seeing the needs are. We don’t quite know when the other phases are going to come, but we expect based on the development and things that are occurring, that probably won’t be too far down the road when we get into other phases.”

Bennett said the facility needs to be updated to accommodate recent population, industrial, and retail growth in the community.

“It’s really setting them in a position to improve their facilities to accommodate for what they have coming, as well as just modernizing the facility,” Bennett said. “The facility’s got some age on it now so it’s really bringing into current standards and then also looking towards future developments.”

Bennett said the city will work with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development team over the next few months to determine what grant funds are available.

State officials estimate replacing the facility’s pump station and other improvements will cost approximately $2.4 million.