Davidson Branch Facility Starts Construction

The Davidson Branch Pump Station and Equalization Facility project, which began construction in September 2020, is another large-scale Clean Water Nashville project that will have major positive environmental and system impacts.

The project scope is extensive and includes replacing and relocating a 1960s era pumping station that is beyond its useful life, increasing pumping capacity, and providing a wet-weather storage tank to attenuate peak flows until conveyance and treatment capacity is available downstream. These infrastructure improvements are expected to improve environmental water quality and limit sanitary sewer overflows into Davidson Branch and the Cumberland River. Without this project, heavy rain events in the area create flows in excess of the existing facility’s capacity and result in overflows.

Key features of the project include construction of a new pump station with a duty pumping capacity of 3.6 million gallons per day (MGD) and a wet-weather pumping capacity of an additional 11 MGD. The new duty pumping capacity increases the system’s reliability to transfer flow downstream for treatment, and the wet-weather pumps are utilized to transfer flows into a new 6-million gallon storage tank which is also being constructed as part of the project. The storage tank will be used when sewer flows exceed the capacity of the downstream sewer system. The peak flows can be temporarily stored until the system has available capacity and the stored volume can be conveyed through the pump station for treatment.

The Davidson Branch Pump Station and Equalization Facility project is being constructed at 6950 Charlotte Pike in Metro Council District 35 near the confluence of Davidson Branch, Ewin Branch, and the Cumberland River. It is located adjacent to the Brookmeade Park and Greenway and large commercial areas.

Plans for the project include retaining existing trees and adding screening shrubs and trees to enhance the site in accordance with the Mayor’s sustainability and environmental improvement initiatives.

Construction is expected to last 24 months and be completed in the fall of 2022. MWS has conducted public outreach to nearby commercial businesses, adjacent residents, and Metro Council representatives for District 35 and adjacent districts. Although efforts will be taken to minimize disturbances, some blasting will occur in the early phases of construction, and the construction will require heavy-duty vehicle traffic in and out of the property. However, the construction activity is not anticipated to affect traffic along Charlotte Pike.

Project page : Davidson Branch Pump Station & Equalization Facility