Chattanooga Council to Back Replacing Lead Water Lines on the Homeowner’s Side, Paid Through Tennessee American Water Rates
Chattanooga City Council is set to take up a Nov. 3 resolution backing Tennessee American Water’s plan to replace lead and galvanized service lines, including the customer-owned part, with that cost folded into general rates. On Oct. 27, the council also takes a first vote on spending $29.3 million
If your Chattanooga home has an old lead or galvanized water line, the cost of replacing the part you own could end up spread across every water customer instead of landing on you alone. A resolution set for the City Council’s Nov. 3 meeting would put the city on record supporting that approach by Tennessee American Water Company.
The council’s Oct. 27 meeting carries a separate money item: the first vote on a mid-year budget amendment that would spend $29.3 million from General Fund reserves.
The lead line resolution
Chattanoogan.com published the text of the resolution on Oct. 23. It says the city supports Tennessee American Water’s program to replace lead and galvanized water service lines, including the customer portion.
Two halves of every line
The resolution explains that a service line has two parts. The utility side runs from the water main to the meter. The customer-owned side runs from the meter to the plumbing in the house. Under the utility’s current rules, the customer side is the owner’s responsibility.
Why both halves at once
The resolution states that partial service line replacements can temporarily increase lead levels in drinking water and are generally prohibited by the EPA. It also says the cost of replacing the customer side would be more than many residents can bear on their own.
Who pays
The key line is about cost. The plan is to put the cost of replacing the customer-owned portion into Tennessee American Water’s general rates, rather than charging each resident the full cost for their own line. The resolution would be sent to the company and to the Tennessee Public Utility Commission, which regulates the utility and would rule on any rate change.
The resolution itself is a statement of support. It does not set a rate, a schedule or a dollar figure.
Why this is happening now
The resolution cites the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, which require water utilities to identify and replace all lead and certain galvanized service lines.
Tennessee American Water announced in September that it would begin checking service line materials in parts of its Citico Service District the week of Sept. 28. The work covers select areas in Chattanooga, East Ridge, Lookout Mountain, Red Bank and Rossville, Ga. The company called the inventory an important step toward the EPA requirement to replace all lead service lines by 2037.
What the line checks look like
Crews dig small test holes near the meter pit. Customers do not need to be home, and water service is not interrupted. When the work is done, a door hanger with the findings is left at the property, and disturbed areas are restored. The company says its water meets all drinking water standards, including those for lead, and that it adds a corrosion inhibitor where needed.
The $29.3 million reserve vote
On Oct. 27, the council takes its first vote on two budget ordinances, the Chattanooga Journal reported. The first amends the fiscal 2026-27 operations budget to appropriate $29,321,000 from General Fund reserves to various departments and $26,439,000 to capital. The second raises the capital budget by $26,439,000 from reserves and adds $150,000 from the Bessie Smith Cultural Center Building Maintenance Fund.
The Journal reported that the agenda does not list which departments or projects would get the money. A public hearing was held Oct. 20, and the final vote is on the proposed agenda for Nov. 3.
| Item | Amount or detail | Meeting |
|---|---|---|
| Operations budget amendment | $29,321,000 from General Fund reserves; $26,439,000 to capital | Oct. 27 first reading; Nov. 3 final |
| Capital budget amendment | +$26,439,000 from reserves; +$150,000 Bessie Smith fund | Oct. 27 first reading |
| Riverview Park/CGCC sewer change order | +$1,797,210; contract to $5,266,635.46 | Oct. 27 |
| Brainerd Manor pump station fence | $102,850 | Oct. 27 |
| Lead and galvanized line resolution | Support for full replacement, customer side in general rates | Nov. 3 (proposed) |
| EPA consent decree payment | $122,000 for 2025 sewer overflows | Nov. 3 (proposed) |
More sewer spending
The Wastewater Department wants a $1,797,210 change order with Hurst Excavating on the Riverview Park/CGCC Chronic Overflow Elimination Project. It would pay for about 740 feet of 24-inch gravity sewer inside the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club property, the last stretch of the line, in District 2.
Other Oct. 27 items
Four rezonings come up for final reading. They include 8022, 8026 and 8030 Old Lee Highway and a neighboring parcel, going to RN-3 residential for MatCo Affordable Housing in District 6. The others are 400, 402 and 405 Garden Road, going to open space and urban agricultural zones for Tucker Build in District 1; 3935 Cromwell Road, going to neighborhood commercial in District 5; and 2411 Awtry Street, going to commercial corridor in District 9.
Chattanooga Head Start would renew partnerships with two sites, Chambliss and Children’s Academy, for the 2026-27 school year. Each would keep 24 infants and toddlers, for 48 in all. The council will also consider a five-year OpenGov fleet management software contract worth up to $150,000 a year.
Also proposed for Nov. 3
Besides the lead line resolution and the final budget vote, the Nov. 3 proposed agenda lists a settlement agreement with Nippon Paint under its donation agreement with the city, and a memorandum of understanding with The Stadium Corporation on sales tax payments at Finley Stadium.
Dates to know
- Week of Sept. 28, 2026 — Tennessee American Water begins service line checks in the Citico district.
- Tue., Oct. 27, 3:30 p.m. — City Council: first reading of the $29.3 million reserve amendment.
- Tue., Nov. 3, 3:30 p.m. — Proposed agenda: lead line resolution and final budget vote.
- 2037 — EPA deadline to replace all lead service lines, per Tennessee American Water.
What it means for Chattanooga homeowners
- Know your line. If you get a door hanger, keep it with your home records. A buyer or inspector may ask what your service line is made of.
- Older homes get the questions. Buyers of older homes often ask about plumbing. A confirmed copper or plastic line, or a replacement record, is a plus.
- Do not rush a private replacement. If the program moves ahead, the customer side may be handled with the utility side. Ask the utility before you pay out of pocket.
- Speak up before the final vote. Each agenda includes time for residents to address the council.
Selling an older home in Chattanooga?
Pipes, roofs and wiring are the first things buyers ask about in older neighborhoods. Gather what you know, including any utility notices, before you list. Get a free home valuation to see where your price stands, or request a cash offer if you would rather sell as-is.
What is Chattanooga’s lead service line resolution?
A resolution on the council’s proposed Nov. 3, 2026 agenda formally supports Tennessee American Water Company replacing lead and galvanized service lines, both utility-owned and customer-owned portions.
Who would pay to replace the homeowner’s part of the line?
The resolution supports putting the cost of replacing the customer-owned portion into Tennessee American Water’s general rates instead of charging each resident the full cost of their own line.
Why replace both sides of the service line at once?
The resolution says partial replacements can temporarily increase lead levels in drinking water and are generally prohibited by the EPA.
What is the deadline to replace lead service lines?
Tennessee American Water says the U.S. EPA requires all lead service lines to be replaced by 2037.
What is the $29.3 million Chattanooga budget amendment?
An ordinance up for first reading Oct. 27 would appropriate $29,321,000 from General Fund reserves to various departments and $26,439,000 to capital. The final vote is proposed for Nov. 3.
Source links
- Chattanoogan.com — “Water Company To Do Customer Portion Of Replacing Lead And Galvanized Pipe To Homes” (Oct. 23, 2026)
- Chattanooga Journal — “Chattanooga council to vote on $29.3 million from reserves” (Oct. 26, 2026)
- Tennessee American Water — Service line material verification in the Citico Service District (Sept. 15, 2026)
- City of Chattanooga — City Council Agenda, Oct. 27, 2026, and Proposed Agenda, Nov. 3, 2026
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