Massive Debris Dams and Raw Sewage: The Aftermath Behind Acorn Court in Kingston Springs Part II
Raw sewage and contaminated water trapped in pools behind Acorn Court. Drainage has been blocked by massive dams created by fallen trees and debris.
Raw Sewage Flows Into Kingston Springs Creek – video – WSMV Nashville
Creek Becomes Environmental Disaster – John Dunn WZTV Fox 17 Nashville
Raw Sewage Problem for Neighbors in Kingston Springs – Amy Napier Viteri WKRN Nashville
Update Monday, May 31, 2010: From Kingston Springs, Tennessee’s Facebook page, “The sewer pump station was completely destroyed. A new one has been ordered but delivery will take several weeks. A temporary pump is on the site,and yesterday the hoses became uncoupled, but is now repaired. The EPA and TDEC are very aware and are assisting the city. Engineers and staff are presently planning the cleanup of debris, with this area as the highest priority.
Update Sunday, May 30, 2010 1:00PM: Robert Hall said a waste water worker from Second South Cheatham Utility District worked on the temporary pumping station behind Acorn Court this morning (photos featured in this post) and reconnected the pipe which was pumping raw sewage directly into the creek basin.
Nearly a month after the flood which caused the Harpeth River to change course and commandeer a tiny creek bed in Kingston Springs, sweeping away houses and tearing up huge stretches of road, the devastation continues.
Today, Acorn Court and Kingston Springs resident Robert Hall discovered raw sewage forcefully pumping into the basin behind his neighbor’s property.
Raw sewage pumps directly into the creek behind Acorn Court.
According to Hall, a temporary pumping station was recently installed to address the drainage of raw sewage into the waterway caused when a Second South Cheatham Utility District pumping station was damaged in the flood.
“As far as I know, no one from the state has come down here to regulate this pump station and monitor the drainage,” said Hall. “It was leaking and seeping before, now it’s being sucked out of the well and pumped into the creek.”
Acorn Court Resident Robert Hall surveys a temporary pumping station as it pumps raw sewage directly into the creek behind his home.
Robert, who works for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in the division of water supply, planned on alerting a waste water operator to the situation. As of this writing there was no information on a solution.
“Boy, it’s going to get rotten down here today,” said Hall who has experienced nausea and headaches since the sewage leakage began. His wife Terry reports severe sinus reactions in response to the smell. Neither can stay outside for very long; making it difficult to face the large-scale clean up which remains.
A weary Robert Hall takes a break from the clean up he has been doing since the waters receded almost a month ago.
“It’s changed my personality,” said Robert. “I don’t usually ask for help. I’m real independent. But sometimes I just want to throw my hands in the air and give up.”
The Halls and area volunteers have spent almost a month working on debris removal and property recovery behind Acorn Court. The contents of three households which washed away in the flood remain buried in the rubble, twisted in fallen trees, and embedded in the rock face of the bluff.
Robert Hall walks past a ladder amidst the debris and fallen trees behind Acorn Court.
A song book Robert pulled from the mud and placed on a fallen tree to dry in the sun.
“One lady came down here and collapsed,” said Hall. “She fell to her knees and broke down when we found something that belonged to her. I think it’s too painful for a lot of folks to see this back here.”
Robert and Terry Hall found these quilts up in the trees behind Acorn Court. They hosed them down and cleaned them for 2 hours before hanging them to dry. They will attempt to find the quilts' owners or take them to the lost and found in downtown Kingston Springs.
Even though the debris and clean-up which lies ahead is daunting, it’s not the Hall’s main concern.
“This is a major drainage area for the Woodlands subdivision, for Harpeth High School and Harpeth Middle School. It’s a catch basin for everything all the way up to the interstate,” said Hall. “Now it’s all plugged up, and these dams are massive. It’s not something we can clear on our own. This is something that needs to be handled by the Army Corps of Engineers or someone. They need to re-establish the drainage so this area doesn’t flood again.”
A massive debris dam blocking drainage and the flow of water behind Acorn Court.
“This tributary is ordinarily so small it’s not even named on maps,” Robert said referring to what was once the small spring-fed creek behind his home. “Neighbors who have been here forever call the creek ‘muddy branch’. Some call this whole area ‘muddy bottoms’. I just call it ‘the gulch’ now. It seems more appropriate.”
Robert Hall uses an indian arrowhead found on his land to point out the tiny tributary known by some as "muddy branch".
What Robert now calls ‘the gulch’ is the property which runs behind the lots on Acorn Court and extends to the beginning of the Highland Rim and the banks of the Harpeth River. Hall obtained records from the Cheatham County Courthouse in Ashland City and discovered the land is owned by Karl Francis. Robert did not know if Francis knew the condition of his property.
“Even if the debris is on private property, we don’t own the waterways,” said Hall. “Waterways are public interest for flooding and safety reasons. To my knowledge I don’t even own the drainage ditch, the little culvert in my front yard. I think the government owns that.”
Stagnant pools of raw sewage trapped by large debris dams along what used to be a small spring-fed creek behind Acorn Court in Kingston Springs.
“This is a ‘blue line stream’, a perennial stream with water in it year-round,” Robert said, explaining there are different protections for waterways based on their classification.
This area used to be a sanctuary for Hall and other Kingston Springs residents. “We had trails all through here,” said Robert touring the devastation. “I know it doesn’t look appealing now, but after cutting my grass in the summertime I used to jump into this water. After seeing it like this, I’ll never get in the water again. I can’t even imagine what’s in the river that nobody will ever know about.”
"I can't even imagine what's in the river that nobody will ever know about." Robert Hall
Hall reported seeing two young teenage boys and their little dog walking around the stagnant pools of sewage and contaminated water which stand where the stream once ran. “Their little dog fell in the water. They were screaming. I tried to help them, but they got their dog out and ran off. I think they thought they were in trouble,” said Hall.
Robert has also seen turtles stuck in the sewage. “There may be fish in there. If there are, they’re trapped, too. That’s black water and it has nowhere to go,” said Hall.
As for the beavers, coyotes, bobcats, and other wildlife which once inhabited the corridor, Robert has not seen them since the flood. He pointed out a bobcat cave which he watched the animal dig one day. It, too, was destroyed by the raging waters of the Harpeth which rose to over 40 feet and ripped through this once tranquil sanctuary.
Robert Hall conducts continuing education training for the state of Tennessee for water well drillers. He trains county environmentalists on sampling ground water for contaminants.
“I know everyone is hitting a natural point of wanting to get on with their lives, but we can’t. We live here,” said Hall whose two greatest concerns are the sewage and drainage issues behind his home.
Trapped sewage and stagnant contaminated water behind Acorn Court in Kingston Springs.
“If these dams aren’t cleared and this sewage continues to drain I’m not only concerned about our health, but about the kind of habitat it’s going to create for mosquitos and other potentially harmful creatures come summer,” Hall said.
“The potential for future flooding could effect the schools which are less than 1/4 mile from here, straight shot,” said Hall.
A section of road near Harpeth Middle School washed away by the flood about 1/4 mile away from sewage drainage and stagnant water created by massive debris dams.
Robert Hall has been to the emergency room twice since the flood to treat a heart problem. “This has been one of the craziest most chaotic things in my life,” said Hall.
Black water trapped in Kingston Springs where a little spring-fed tributary once ran.
“We have elderly neighbors whose health wasn’t great before the flood,” said Hall. “We don’t need to be breathing this.”
A river of raw sewage is pumped into the devastated creek bed behind the homes on Acorn Court in Kingston Springs, about 1/4 mile from Harpeth Middle & High School.
Raw sewage fills the basin created when the Harpeth River changed course in the flood nearly a month ago.
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thank you for this post. man what a picture it paints. the pictures spoke volumes. now how do we contact amy corp of engineers, or some other organization that will help take responsibility on how to clean this up, and deal with the raw sewage problem quickly.
Just a reminder that we do have an established lost and found, located on Main Street in the lower area of the old fitness center for found items to be delivered so that families may claim them in a safe, locked environment. If no one is there, they can be left and you can give me a call at 972-0110, or Marie at 202-6016.
I’m the mother of the boys with the little dog who fell in the sewage. We have picked up pieces of debris, along with some HHS students, but the problem is just beyond our efforts. Two weeks ago, I literally stepped on a nail. It’s overwhelming, paifully sad, and just dangerous. We used to refer to this spot as Narnia–the ultimate escape from the world.