Behind the 15-million-gallon water tanks protecting Chattanooga’s communities

As Chattanooga grows, so does the need for resilient infrastructure.

When heavy rains hit, aging sewer systems can overflow, sending untreated wastewater into local streams and neighborhoods. The Environmental and Economic Infrastructure Improvements project, or e2i2, captures and stores excess flow until the system can safely process it. The result is cleaner waterways, healthier communities, and fewer disruptions for residents.

Two new wet weather equalization (EQ) stations with approximately 40 million gallons of storage combined, along with interceptor sewer improvements, will serve as the first phase of the Clear Chattanooga Sewer Overflow Abatement Program.

Working alongside Gresham Smith, Barge Design Solutions, Croy Engineering, and Terracon Consultants through a progressive design-build model, Brasfield & Gorrie is bringing Chattanooga’s infrastructure investment to life:

• Four construction sites delivering a combined 40 million gallons of storage capacity
• Two 15-million-gallon equalization tanks at West Chickamauga and one 10-million-gallon equalization tank at South Lee Highway
• A 19-million-gallon-per-day and 12-million-gallon-per-day pump station built 50 feet underground
• 7,400 linear feet of new and rehabilitated conveyance lines
• 63% of work self-performed by Brasfield & Gorrie

“This project represents an important first phase of Clear Chattanooga, and these improvements to the City’s wastewater infrastructure are vital to the health of the overall system and Chattanooga’s future,” said Ben Harris, regional vice president for Brasfield & Gorrie. “They enhance quality of life and help make Chattanooga an even better place to live, work, and grow.”

Get an inside look at the project in this Local 3 News feature.