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Flood Sanitation
Flood and Storm Sanitation: what it covers
Quick answer
Heavy rain in May 2010 flooded areas near the Cumberland River, Mill Creek and the Harpeth River. The Cumberland crested at about 51.9 feet at Nashville, the highest since 1937 according to one source, and the Opryland area was badly flooded. Recovery sanitation is placed on ground that has dried and is safe to use, and the waste is handled under the Tennessee rules for hauling.
The May 2010 flood is the reference point for Nashville's water history. Heavy rain flooded areas near the Cumberland River, Mill Creek and the Harpeth River. Sources differ on the crest, with one putting the Cumberland at about 51.9 feet at Nashville, the highest since 1937, and another at about 53 feet.
A large retail centre in the Opryland area took about 10 feet of water, according to a local source. The Donelson area sits next to the Opryland area, and it is one of the places where recovery sanitation may be needed after a river rise.
This page does not give a rainfall total for the 2010 event, because the sources conflict and none is verified. It also does not claim a flood date for any other year, since none was sourced in this pass.
Do not place a unit where water is still standing, near a damaged electrical supply or over a sewer that is out of service. Check the pad and the anchor after every heavy rain.
A street where the water has gone down but the sewer connection is still out
A house being gutted after water, with no working toilet on the lot
A riverside block where the ground is soft and the unit can sink
A recovery site with crews working for days and no sanitation nearby
Our process
How our flood and storm sanitation visit works
Check the ground is safe
Confirm the spot is dry enough and clear of standing water, debris and damaged utilities before the unit is placed.
Place on a firm pad
Set the unit on a pad or a firm surface, since flood-soaked ground can give way under a loaded unit.
Plan the waste removal
Arrange the servicing and the hauling under the Tennessee rules, so the waste goes to an approved disposal site.
Set the count for the crew
Size the count for the recovery crew or the household using the site, and review it as the work moves on.
Remove when the site is restored
Collect the units once the site has a working sewer connection or the recovery work is finished.
A recovery unit for a riverside house after heavy rain
What homeowners notice
A house near the river is being restored after a flood. The ground around it is soft and the sewer connection is not yet restored.
What we do
The site is checked for dry, firm ground and a safe sewer connection before the unit is placed on a pad. The servicing and the hauling are arranged under the Tennessee rules.
What to expect
The restoration crew has a unit on firm ground, and the waste goes to a permitted disposal site with a record of each visit.
Placement once the ground is dry, servicing through the drying period typical visit
What did the May 2010 flood do in Nashville?
Heavy rain flooded areas near the Cumberland River, Mill Creek and the Harpeth River, and the Cumberland crested at about 51.9 feet at Nashville according to one source.
Sources differ on the crest, with another putting it at about 53 feet. A large retail centre in the Opryland area took about 10 feet of water. The event is a reason to plan recovery sanitation along those waterways, and the planning should use the sources rather than a single figure.
Why is recovery sanitation different from a normal job?
Water damage leaves the ground soft, the sewers out of service and the people working in damaged buildings. A unit has to be placed with those conditions in mind.
A unit on flood-soaked ground can sink and tilt, and a unit near a damaged sewer line is a health hazard for the crew. The spot should be checked for both before the unit is delivered.
How is the waste handled after a flood?
Under the Tennessee rules for septage hauling, which require an annual hauler permit and disposal at an approved site. The hauler's permit should be checked before the first visit.
The waste from a flood-recovery unit is hauled like any other, and it goes to an approved disposal site. The site should keep the records of each visit.
What should a recovery site check before the first visit?
The site should check that the water has gone down, that the surface will hold a unit, that the sewer connection is safe to use, and that the hauler named for the visits holds the Tennessee permit.
A site that has been under water may still have a damaged sewer line or a loose utility. Those are checked with the owner and the utility before a unit is set beside the building.
Recovery crews often change quickly. The count and the placement are reviewed each week, and the provider is told of any change in the crew or the household using the unit.
Options
Types and options for flood and storm sanitation
Household recovery unit
One unit beside a house being restored, placed on the drive or the side yard once the ground is dry.
Recovery crew cluster
Several units for a larger recovery crew, placed on firm ground near the work.
Riverside recovery unit
A unit set back from the river edge on firm ground, reviewed after each heavy rain.
Davidson County
Why flood and storm sanitation is different in Greater Nashville
Mill Creek and the Harpeth River join the list of waterways that flooded in May 2010, and the placement near any of them is checked after heavy rain.
The Opryland area and the Donelson area beside the Cumberland were among the places in the water, and recovery work there needs firm ground.
The riverfront streets downtown sit on the Cumberland, and any unit placed there is kept back from the river edge.
One call and it gets handled.
Most flood and storm sanitation calls are scheduled the same day when a technician is free, and you approve the price before any work starts.
Under Tennessee Rule 0400-48-01-.20, anyone in the business of removing and disposing of septage from septic tanks, holding tanks or portable toilets must hold an annual permit from the Commissioner.
