Hamilton County Water & Wastewater Treatment Authority (WWTA)

What Hamilton County Water & Wastewater Treatment Authority (WWTA) does

Hamilton County Water & Wastewater Treatment Authority (WWTA) is a governmental utility authority established in 1993 under Tennessee state law, providing wastewater collection, conveyance, and treatment services to residential and commercial customers throughout Hamilton County, Tennessee. It serves as the exclusive sewer provider for unincorporated areas and multiple surrounded municipalities including Red Bank, Ridgeside, East Ridge, Lookout Mountain, Lakesite, Signal Mountain, and Soddy-Daisy. The authority operates under a $300 million federal consent decree with the EPA and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), with a 15-20 year compliance horizon addressing sanitary sewer overflows and infrastructure deficiencies.

WWTA's core technology comprises traditional municipal wastewater infrastructure including gravity sewer lines (6-15 inch diameter), pump stations, force mains, and treatment plants. Technical capabilities include trenchless Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) rehabilitation, Sewer System Evaluation Survey (SSES) methodology using smoke testing and CCTV evaluations, the Private Service Lateral Program (PSLP) with a qualified master plumber network, and a publicly accessible GIS mapping tool for sewer line locations. Major capital programs include the Environmental and Economic Infrastructure Improvements (e2i2) Program featuring two wet-weather equalization stations with ~30 million gallons of storage capacity, and the Signal Mountain Infrastructure Rehabilitation Plan covering 33,300 linear feet of sewer rehabilitation.

The authority generates revenue through monthly sewer service charges billed based on water consumption, an $8 PSLP fee per billing cycle, tap-on permit and inspection fees, and miscellaneous delinquency and processing fees. Customer segments include residential property owners, commercial businesses, and municipal entities across its service area. Delivery is direct to consumer via publicly owned infrastructure, with operations outsourced to a prequalified network of 21 engineering firms, 5 surveying firms, and qualified master plumbers under a 7-employee administrative structure. The authority is governed by a Board of Commissioners with Executive Director Michael Patrick, who has 25+ years of wastewater infrastructure experience and serves concurrently as Director of Waste Resources Division for the City of Chattanooga.

Name

Hamilton County Water & Wastewater Treatment Authority (WWTA)

Legal name

Hamilton County Water & Wastewater Treatment Authority

Website

https://wwta.hamiltontn.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hamilton County WWTA is a governmental utility authority providing wastewater collection, conveyance, and treatment services to residential and commercial customers across unincorporated Hamilton County, Tennessee and seven surrounded municipalities under a $300M federal EPA consent decree.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Wastewater Treatment Services

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Operations & Maintenance (BPALAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Municipal Wastewater Collection (Sewer Networks) (BPALAMAA), Sewer Pump/Lift Stations & Wet Wells (EUANACAC), Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

Keywords

• Municipal wastewater services
• Sewer infrastructure rehabilitation
• Wastewater treatment authority
• Sanitary sewer collection
• Utility consent decree compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Chattanooga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Sewer Service Charges: Recurring sewer service fees billed to residential and commercial customers based on water consumption. Revenue is used for wastewater transportation, treatment, and system repair/replacement programs.
2. Private Service Lateral Program Fee: $8 fee implemented as part of requirements set forth by TDEC for the PSLP program.
3. Tap-on Permits and Inspection Fees: Fees for sewer tap-on permits ($50 minimum inspection fee for road cuts), permit fees for repairs, and tap fees for new connections.
4. Delinquency and Processing Fees: 10% delinquency fee on unpaid balances, $30 Delinquent Administrative Charge, $35 returned item fee, and $2.25 processing fee for credit/debit/check payments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hamilton County WWTA provides regional wastewater collection, conveyance, and treatment services to residential and commercial properties in Hamilton County, TN, under a federal consent decree. The Authority also administers the Private Service Lateral Program (PSLP), Service Lateral Program (SLP), e2i2 Program, and major infrastructure rehabilitation projects including the Signal Mountain Infrastructure Rehabilitation Plan and Rhinehart Valley Phase 1 force main upgrades.

Product overview

Hamilton County WWTA provides a unified suite of wastewater management services for Hamilton County, Tennessee. The core offering is wastewater collection and treatment services, supported by two key programs: the Private Service Lateral Program (PSLP) and Service Lateral Program (SLP), both designed to address inflow and infiltration issues in sewer systems. Major infrastructure projects include the Environmental and Economic Infrastructure Improvements (e2i2) Program featuring 30-million-gallon wet-weather equalization tanks, and the Signal Mountain Infrastructure Rehabilitation Plan. Additional services include sewer billing, an interactive GIS mapping tool for sewer line locations, and regulatory compliance programs under federal consent decree requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wastewater Collection and Treatment Services Core wastewater collection, conveyance, and treatment service billed to residential, commercial, and municipal customers within the WWTA service territory in Hamilton County, Tennessee, delivered under a federal consent decree with the EPA and TDEC.
• Private Service Lateral Program (PSLP) Recurring-fee compliance program under which residential and commercial property owners pay a subscription fee to WWTA for sewer service lateral inspection, rehabilitation, and replacement, structured to support consent-decree-driven infrastructure improvements.
• Service Lateral Program (SLP) WWTA-administered program for service lateral replacement and rehabilitation within designated zones, supporting broader consent-decree-driven sanitary sewer overflow reduction goals.
• e2i2 Program WWTA program focused on eliminating extraneous flow sources (inflow and infiltration) in the sanitary sewer collection system to reduce overflow events and improve system performance.
• Tap-on Permit / New Connection Service Permit issuance and connection service for new residential and commercial developments seeking access to the WWTA sewer system, including one-time tap-on fees and capacity/development charges.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 million gallons of excess wastewater storage capacity to prevent sanitary sewer overflows
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Wright Brothers Construction Company, Inc.majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 27 May 2024General contractor for Rhinehart Valley Phase 1 Force Main Upgrades project. Installing 9,900 linear feet of 12-inch HDPE force main from May 2024 to October 2025. Emergency contact: Joe Hanna at 865-643-0787.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal regulatory partner under the Clean Water Act. Negotiated $300 million federal consent decree settlement requiring comprehensive sewer infrastructure improvements over 15-20 years. Ongoing oversight of WWTA compliance with regulatory requirements and deliverable deadlines.
• Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState regulatory partner directing WWTA to eliminate inflow and infiltration sources under Corrective Action Plan requirements. Co-approver of Signal Mountain Remediation Plan with EPA. Ongoing compliance oversight.
• Hamilton County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent governmental entity. Executive Director also serves as Director of Waste Resources Division for the City of Chattanooga. Coordinates with County Mayor and Board of Commissioners.
• Qualified Master PlumbersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLicensed Master Plumbers who have passed WWTA qualification process to perform private lateral repairs. Currently 4 approved plumbers: B & B Plumbing, Cadence Sitework, Keefe Plumbing, and Southeast Total Services. All work guaranteed for 5 years.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• JEA: Community-owned utility providing water, wastewater, electric, and customer services to Jacksonville, FL — comparable to WWTA as a multi-service municipal utility with regulated wastewater operations.
• DC Water: District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority is a regional wastewater and water utility authority with a comparable mandate to operate collection, treatment, and conveyance infrastructure under federal and local regulatory oversight — the closest structural analogue to WWTA as a governmental wastewater authority.
• Nashville Metro Water Services: Municipal water and sewer utility serving Nashville/Davidson County, Tennessee — comparable to WWTA in operating wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure for a Tennessee metropolitan region under state and federal oversight.
• Knoxville Utilities Board: Tennessee municipal utility providing water and wastewater services to the Knoxville area — geographically and structurally comparable to WWTA as a Tennessee municipal water/wastewater provider serving multiple communities.
• Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District: Regional sewer district operating interceptor and treatment infrastructure under a federal consent decree with EPA, with comparable large-scale wet-weather and SSO abatement programs similar to WWTA's.
• Hampton Roads Sanitation District: Regional wastewater utility serving multiple municipalities in southeastern Virginia with collection system, treatment plant, and consent-decree-driven wet-weather improvement programs — directly comparable to WWTA's e2i2 and Signal Mountain work.

Broad incumbents

• Essential Utilities: Regulated water and wastewater utility with a meaningful natural gas business — comparable to WWTA in the regulated water/wastewater utility segment, though structured as an investor-owned company.
• Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago: Large governmental wastewater reclamation authority operating treatment plants and interceptor sewers for the Chicago region — a much larger but structurally analogous governmental wastewater utility to WWTA.
• Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts: Large regional sanitation districts operating wastewater collection and treatment for much of Los Angeles County — a much larger but directly comparable governmental wastewater authority with multiple districts and treatment plants.
• American Water Works Company: Largest investor-owned water and wastewater utility in the U.S., serving regulated collection and treatment systems across multiple states — analogous to WWTA in service line but operating under private/regulated utility economics rather than governmental authority structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Facebook
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hcwwta
• Xx.com/Twitter
• Pinterestwwta.hamiltontn.gov/Layout/WidgetShare/ShareLink/Pinterest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hamilton County Water & Wastewater Treatment Authority (WWTA)