A panel of the Tennessee House of Representatives is scheduled to consider a bill that would block the Department of Environment and Conservation from regulating how some types of sewage treatment systems are designed and built. The bill concerns decentralized wastewater systems, which are often used where municipal sewers are not available. They work by pumping liquid to an on-site treatment facility and then spraying or dripping it onto a field. TDEC began working on design standards for the systems in 2018. The bill under consideration would take away TDEC’s power to impose those standards. The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee was considering the bill on Tuesday.
House panel to look at bill limiting private sewer oversight
Jun 3, 2020 | 5:00 AM