Conservation groups file lawsuit over failing Middle Tennessee sewage system

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On Monday, the Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association and Sierra Club, sued the Water and Wastewater Authority of Wilson County (WWAWC) and Adenus Operations, a wastewater treatment company, over a failing sewage system in the Ridgewater Estates subdivision in Wilson County, Tenn., that is discharging polluted wastewater into a creek that flows directly into Old Hickory Lake. The unlawful discharge of wastewater into that waterway without a permit violates the federal Clean Water Act.

The sewage system, which is owned by WWAWC and operated by Adenus, has several serious flaws that cause polluted wastewater to flow into homeowners’ yards and nearby waterways. Over the years, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) issued several notices of violations to WWAWC and Adenus because of the problems at this site, and WWAWC and Adenus have failed to correct those problems.

“For years, the Water and Wastewater Authority of Wilson County and Adenus have turned a blind eye to problems at the Ridgewater site as homeowners and nearby communities have been forced to deal with polluted wastewater in their yards, creeks, and Old Hickory Lake,” SELC Staff Attorney Stephanie Biggs said. “Their failure to properly treat wastewater is a public health hazard. Because the Water and Wastewater Authority and Adenus have refused to fix these glaring problems, we’re taking them to court.”

In August, the conservation groups notified WWAWC and Adenus, as required by the Clean Water Act, that they intended to sue over the unlawful wastewater pollution occurring at the Ridgewater facility. The notice letter outlined the serious, persistent issues at that facility. But instead of working to fix the problems onsite, WWAWC and Adenus seemingly doubled down. A recent TDEC inspection found that these entities built another unauthorized channel that funnels polluted wastewater into a nearby creek, resulting in yet another violation of the Clean Water Act.

“Tennessee’s waterways provide drinking water for nearby communities, boast world-class fishing and paddling, and bring outdoor recreation enthusiasts to Tennessee from across the country. All of that is at risk when polluters allow wastewater to flow into our lakes, rivers and streams,” Buddy Koonce, Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association board member, said. “This lawsuit is a step towards protecting our waterways—and the communities that rely on them—from harmful pollution.”

Adenus and WWAWC have a track record of mismanaging drip dispersal sewage systems. Half of the drip dispersal sewage systems owned by WWAWC and run by Adenus were found to be out of compliance with their permits during a 2024 survey conducted by TDEC. Problems with a similar sewage system that is being built for nearby LaGuardo Elementary School and is also owned by WWAWC and run by Adenus have created significant concerns about how the school will handle its waste.

“TDEC’s 2024 statewide wastewater treatment survey indicated that approximately half of the drip dispersal systems owned by the Water and Wastewater Authority of Wilson County and run by Adenus had problems, putting water quality and public health at risk. Adenus’ history of ignoring regulators’ notices of violation forces the Sierra Club to take legal action to rectify the situation at Ridgewater Estates and hopefully send a message to other failing treatment facilities across the state to clean up their act,” Axel Ringe, chair of the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club’s Water Quality Committee, said.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. The groups are asking the court to declare that WWAWC and Adenus are violating the Clean Water Act, order the defendants to cease and abate the unlawful discharges, and impose penalties in the amount of $68,445 per day for each violation.