News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The city of McMinnville is taking the first step to fixing its sewer line issues thanks to a federal grant.
In the event of rain, the city’s sewer lines face Infiltration/Inflow, which is unfitted line connections allowing ground water in the system causing dilution in treatment. City Administrator Nolan Ming said city has already started smoke testing to find the leaks.
“Once we find it, we got to make those fixes,” Ming said. “So, finding it is just the beginning. This grant will help us to get started with making those fixes once we do find the problems.”
Once a section needing repairs is found, the city will bid out the project. The proposed project consists of repairs to approximately 5,500 linear feet of sewer line and about 4,000 residential connections. Ming said the Highway 70 Basin is the initial focus of the project.
“We already started smoke testing in that area,” Ming said. “We feel like the majority or a large portion of the issues arise from that area.”
McMinnville received a $630,000 Community Development Block Grant with a $80,000 local match to pay for the repairs. Ming said the city hopes to begin repairs sometime next year.
The city is in talks with West Warren-Viola Utility District to work together on utilizing Focused Electrode Leak Location (FELL), an emerging technology, to pinpoint Infiltration/Inflow and estimate the volume within the system.
These efforts allow McMinnville to narrow the length of rehabilitation to that which is most effective in reducing I&I. The data available will be reviewed by the City and Mayor James C. Hailey, and a plan will be created. The city has three years to complete the project.
