Kingston Springs schedules community meeting on future of town’s sewer system

The Town of Kingston Springs is inviting residents to a community meeting later this month to discuss the current condition and future of its wastewater system, as officials continue weighing major decisions about how to address the town’s aging sewer infrastructure.

The meeting will be held Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, at 6 p.m. in the Activity Center at L.L. Burns Park, 501 Park Street in Kingston Springs. The public is encouraged to attend.

Mayor Todd Verhoven announced the meeting during the town’s Planning Commission meeting on Oct. 9, explaining that officials plan to provide an overview of the system’s condition, recent studies and possible next steps — including repairs, rehabilitation or the potential sale of the sewer system to a private operator.

“We have an aging sewer system that needs work,” Verhoven said. “It’s needed work for a while. There hasn’t been a preventive maintenance plan since the sewer system was put in, and that’s the biggest problem. We’re going to have to address it now. It’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to be inexpensive.”

Manhole repairs and lagoon liner

The town’s ongoing efforts to assess and repair its sewer infrastructure have centered around two key issues: manhole deterioration and a damaged lagoon liner at the wastewater treatment facility.

According to City Manager John Lawless, the town’s study of the system identified significant inflow and infiltration — often called “I&I” — that allows excess groundwater to enter sewer lines, overwhelming the system during wet weather.

“The short story is that we were bidding out manholes,” Lawless said. “There are 110 or so manholes, and they’re in different states of disrepair. We did a red, yellow and green list — red as the most serious … The red ones were a pretty even mix of rehabilitation and replace.”

In August, the Board of Commissioners voted to reject a $2.735 million bid from Norris Brothers Excavating for the town’s sewer manhole rehabilitation project — a price nearly double the town’s estimated cost. Kingston Springs plans to use a $350,000 TDOT grant to fund the initial stages of the project once a suitable bid is accepted.

Lawless explained that rehabilitation involves installing a spray liner inside the manhole, while replacement means completely reconstructing the structure. Because the two require different contractors, the town has decided to separate them into two projects. Those projects were rebid on Oct. 9, and officials expect to have results by the November Board of Commissioners meeting.

Verhoven added that a damaged liner at the town’s sewage lagoon is also being addressed. Plans for either repairing or replacing the liner have been sent to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) for review and approval.

“Plans have been sent to TDEC, Lawless said. “Plans for either replace and remediate, which is repair the existing liner and remediate so that the gas buildup that caused the bubble in the past doesn't happen again. A second set of plans were created to replace the rubber plastic liner with clay in the bottom … Once TDEC reviews and blesses those plans, we can send those out for a bid.”

Exploring all options

The town has also been exploring whether selling its sewer system to a private company might be a viable option. That possibility, along with potential grants and funding opportunities, will be discussed at the Oct. 29 meeting.

“We’ve put a bid out to possibly sell the sewer system and let professionals come in and take it over,” Verhoven said. “We’re also looking at what it would cost to repair it. At that point, we’re going to weigh all options, look at it and see what’s best for the town.”

At the upcoming meeting, officials said they hope to provide transparency and receive feedback directly from residents.

“Regardless, it has to be repaired,” Verhoven said. “We want to hear from the constituents, because ultimately, that’s who we represent … We're going to bring in the professionals to talk to you, other people that want to buy the sewer system, what they're going to do, how they do it, how they operate other systems.”

The sewer discussion comes as the town’s new rate increases took effect in early August, a move officials said was necessary to sustain operations. The town has faced ongoing challenges maintaining its wastewater system, which has drawn scrutiny from environmental groups for alleged discharges into the Harpeth River.

The Town recently published a Q&A on the sewer system to its website. It features answers to a dozen frequently asked questions, including pollution into the Harpeth River and the rising cost on users.