Brasfield & Gorrie Advances First Phase of Chattanooga Wastewater Infrastructure Program

Highlights

• Brasfield & Gorrie is constructing the first phase of Chattanooga's Clear Chattanooga Sewer Overflow Abatement Program.
• The project includes approximately 40 million gallons of wet weather storage capacity across three equalization tanks.
• Work also features underground pump stations and more than 7,400 linear feet of sewer conveyance improvements.
• Brasfield & Gorrie is delivering the project through a progressive design-build approach with multiple engineering partners.

Investments in wastewater infrastructure continue to expand as municipalities address aging utility systems and increasing stormwater demands. Brasfield & Gorrie is advancing the first phase of Chattanooga's Environmental and Economic Infrastructure Improvements (e2i2) project, a major initiative designed to reduce sewer overflows and strengthen the city's wastewater network.

Wastewater Infrastructure Scope

The project forms the initial phase of the Clear Chattanooga Sewer Overflow Abatement Program and includes two wet weather equalization stations providing a combined storage capacity of approximately 40 million gallons.

Construction includes two 15-million-gallon equalization tanks at the West Chickamauga site and one 10-million-gallon equalization tank at South Lee Highway. The program also features pump stations with capacities of 19 million and 12 million gallons per day, both constructed approximately 50 feet below ground.

Additional work includes approximately 7,400 linear feet of new and rehabilitated sewer conveyance lines to improve wastewater system performance during heavy rainfall events.

Progressive Design-Build Delivery

Brasfield & Gorrie is delivering the project through a progressive design-build model in collaboration with Gresham Smith, Barge Design Solutions, Croy Engineering, and Terracon Consultants.

The contractor is self-performing approximately 63% of the construction work, supporting project execution across four active construction sites.

The infrastructure improvements are intended to capture and temporarily store excess wastewater during storm events, helping reduce sewer overflows and improve water quality before flows are processed through the city's treatment system.

Why It Matters

Municipal wastewater upgrades remain a significant source of infrastructure construction opportunities as communities modernize aging utility systems and strengthen environmental compliance. Projects such as Chattanooga's sewer overflow abatement program create sustained demand for heavy civil contractors, underground utility specialists, concrete contractors, and engineering firms delivering large-scale water and wastewater infrastructure.

Source: Brasfield & Gorrie.