Metro Water begins assessment of downtown sewer pipes after explosion | Davidson County

By On Mar 20, 2021

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) – Since the Christmas Day explosion in downtown Nashville, the city has been concerned about the damage to the streets, but also underneath.

According to Metro Water Services, part of the underground sewer system under the streets dates back to 1903.

“They’ll send a closed circuit (CCTV) camera down the sewer and check it visually,” said Sonia Allman, spokeswoman for Metro Water Services.

Metro Water Services contracted Ace Pipe Cleaning LLC to examine the sewer pipes 5 to 8 feet underground.

The CCTV camera used is a camera on wheels that can be lowered into downtown sewers, some of which are made of clay.

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) – Today city officials will turn their attention underground to assess the extent of the damage caused by the bombings on Seco.

“If you have an older clay pipe, especially this old one, vibration could have caused it to fail,” Allman said.

“A lot of people don’t think about this stuff, but it’s just as important as the roads that get you to work,” said Mike Volner of Ace Pipe Cleaning.

Ace Pipe Cleaning’s job is to flush and vacuum the sewer pipes before checking the damage with the camera.

“We haven’t found anything extraordinary per se,” said Volner.

The inspection process can take up to a week and costs Metro Water Services up to $ 75,000.

“If we dig up the streets to replace them (the sewer pipes) it will have quite an impact on the city,” Allman said.

Contractors will evaluate the pipes from Union Street to Broadway and Fourth Avenue North to the Cumberland River. Then it is determined whether the pipes need to be repaired or replaced.

Ace Pipe Cleaning inspects 12,000 feet of sewer 8 to 30 inches in size. There are approximately 3,300 feet of clay pipes, 1,800 feet of concrete pipes, 450 feet of brick pipes, some of which are lined, and 5,300 feet of unknown pipe types.

Metro Water Services does not believe that the public water system has been damaged. All water and sewage systems are functioning normally.