Upgrades Underway to Transform Central Plant
The future headworks facility is shown in the left of the rendering. Park features, as shown on the right, will be constructed towards the end of the project.
Modernizing and expanding the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant is the largest project in the Clean Water Nashville Program, representing an investment of approximately $400 million.
“The Central Upgrade project adds treatment capacity to improve water quality and become more energy efficient, but equally important, it allows Metro Water Services to be a better partner to the thriving Germantown and Salemtown neighborhoods with additional odor control, landscaping improvements, and lighted walkways along our boundary,” said Ron Taylor, Program Director for Clean Water Nashville.
The project to upgrade Central began construction this summer and is scheduled for completion in late 2023. When completed, it will position the plant to meet projected demands as Nashville continues to grow while improving water quality and ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations. The plant is located between Second and Third Avenues North, south of Interstate 65.
A new headworks facility, with a capacity of 440 million gallons per day, will be constructed on Third Avenue North. The headworks facility will have heavy duty screens that remove large debris and fine screens to remove small materials such as so-called flushable wipes to reduce clogging in the treatment facility. (Metro Water Services urges residents to not flush any items down the drain except toilet paper. Although wipes may be advertised as flushable, they should never be flushed because they can clog pipes and lead to sewer overflows.)
Additional major elements of the project include upgrades to the Central Pump Station, improvements to conveyance piping, upgrades to the aeration system, and additional capture and treatment of odor sources. The process for disinfection will be changed from chlorine gas to ultraviolet light, a more environmentally friendly and efficient process.
Typically for a project of this size, Metro Water Services would host a public meeting to share information about the construction project. Since that isn’t practical at this time due to the coronavirus pandemic, MWS has created a Virtual Open House that can be accessed here.
The Virtual Open House provides details about the project such as the architectural elements of the new headworks structure being built at Third Avenue North and Garfield Street. The public can learn about landscaping improvements to be added along Third Avenue North between the existing Magdeburg Greenway and Coffee Street at the northern end of the treatment facility. Details are also provided about the sustainability features of the project, and one exhibit is devoted to information about construction, including the schedule for upcoming work that will include blasting and rock excavation.