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MU Wastewater at a Glance
By the Numbers
The Wastewater system is comprised of 2 Wastewater Treatment Plants (Turkey Creek and Lowland WWTP), 29 pump stations, 2 equalization (EQ) tanks with a capacity of 4 million gallons, approximately 280 miles of gravity sewer lines, 7,300 sewer manholes, and 33 miles of sewer force main. Turkey Creek WWTP has a capacity of 7.5 MGD with an average daily flow of approximately 5.0 MGD. Lowland WWTP has a capacity of 500,000 GPD with an average daily flow of approximately 290,000 GPD.
Daily Monitoring
The Wastewater Treatment Plants and Collection System Pump Stations are monitored 24 hours a day seven days a week via a state of the art Supervisory, Control, and Data Acquisition (SCADA) computer system. This computer system notifies staff of daily operations and equipment failures. Furthermore, MU staff performs thousands of water quality tests each year ensuring water entering and leaving the water treatment plants meet and exceed all specified by TDEC criteria listed in MU National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.
Serving Morristown and Surrounding Areas
MU Wastewater system serves the City of Morristown and parts of Hamblen County.
Protecting the Collection System and Environment
MU maintains an Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP) requiring select industries to monitor their waste discharges into the collection system on a routine basis. This program ensures high concentrations of specified containments do not enter the system. The IPP is performed by MU staff working closely with industrial dischargers to collect discharge samples and verify manufacturing inventory is properly stored and protected from accidental discharge into the collection system and ultimately the environment. Furthermore, MU staff maintains a Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) program requiring commercial business, like restaurants, do not discharge heavy concentrations of grease via the use of grease interceptors. Grease discharges can easily buildup within the collection system causing blockages and overflow of sewers.