We must protect our environment, but without sufficient funding
it is unlikely that many cities and counties will be able to
comply with National Pollution Detection & Elimination System
rules. For example, several months ago Chattanooga signed a
consent decree with the EPA and TDEC which forces the city to
spend $250 million to upgrade and repair the city’s sewer system
to meet federal water quality standards. This required a huge
increase in stormwater permit fees which affected just about
everyone, from homeowners to businesses, churches and industry.
Other cities across the nation are staring at fixes and
penalties far greater than what Chattanooga has agreed to.
Knoxville’s tab is $530 million. Nashville will spend
approximately $1.5 billion. The culprit is stormwater and
surface runoff which has a great impact on our drinking water.
Nonporous surfaces like driveways, sidewalks and streets prevent
stormwater runoff from naturally soaking into the ground.
Instead, the stormwater picks up debris, chemicals