News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cookeville considering an upgrade to the capacity of the Cane Creek Pump Station.
Water and Sewer Department Director Barry Turner said the project would increase the station’s capacity from 700 gallons per minute to 1,200. Turner said the expansion is also an important step in the department’s plan to improve the Cora Road Pump Station in the future.
“The upgrades to Cora Road would actually involve just a force main upsizing,” Turner said. “But then it would be pumping to Cane Creek, so in order to accommodate that, plus the demand in the Cane Creek basin, we need to upsize that pump station.”
City Manager James Mills said upgrading the sewer system would allow for new development opportunities in that portion of the city. Mills said the city has already had to encourage multiple developers interested in the area to delay their plans until the upgrade can be completed.
City council will consider an engineering contract during Thursday’s meeting.
“(Community Development Director Jon Ward), I know you’ve had two or three fairly large developments, people have been interested in development,” Mills said. “But we couldn’t just don’t have the treatment or the transfer capacity right now.”
Turner said the contract is for $224,400 and includes design, construction administration, and part-time inspection. Turner said most of the developers interested in the location are looking to add housing there.
“This would allow really anything,” Turner said. “Just it adds capacity, so whether it be housing or industry or whatever.”
