City Works to Fix Raw Sewage Overflow
This video is no longer available.
MCKENZIE, Tenn. — McKenzie city officials say an update to their water system is long overdue. Billy Wood, superintendent of the McKenzie Water Department says often when it rains, raw sewage pours into several ditches in the city. “As the rain percolates this soil, it gets to the point it can’t take anymore water,” Wood said. Wood says the city has been dealing with this issue since the late 80s and it’s slowly becoming a health hazard. The problem he says, are roots from the trees growing in the city’s pipes, causing damage to the drainage system. “And then peoples house sewage, business and industry all that combine with the rain water and it gets too full,” Wood said. Jimmy Cooper, a resident in McKenzie says he’s been monitoring the progress of the repairs. “For as long as I can remember they’ve been working on the sewage system here,” Cooper said. But now, thanks to a federal grant for more than $80,000 and after three successful rehab projects, Mayor Jill Holland and Wood say the system is on its way to recovery. “We’ve reduced it by a fifth from where we started out at,” Wood said. Officials say they’re not sure when the project will be finished but hopefully the last three rehab projects will fix the problem.
