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Interior of a large tank with workers and beams of light shining in.Interior of a large tank with workers and beams of light shining in.

Renewing Nashville, one sewer pipe at a time 

To protect the Cumberland River and modernize aging infrastructure, Nashville partnered with CDM Smith to renew its sewer system and improve water quality. 

Client

Metro Water Services

Location

Nashville, Tennessee

Connect with an expert

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Michael Krabacher PE
Project Delivery Services Discipline Leader

Updating a century-old system to protect Nashville’s waterways and communities 

As Nashville’s growth soared, its century-old sewer network struggled to keep pace. To address the chronic sewer overflows threatening public health, Metro Water Services launched the Clean Water Nashville Abatement Program to renew sewer lines, rehabilitate manholes and strengthen system reliability. 

Streamlined project delivery 

CDM Smith helped standardize processes, enabling efficient procurement, documentation and coordination across all teams. 

Smart management tools 

The team introduced a program management information system, capturing 220K+ documents and tracking $950M in expenditures. 

Laying a strong foundation 

An investigation of Metro’s existing capital projects helped determine the best requirements for Clean Water Nashville. 

Restoring clean waterways 

Renewal of 200 miles of sewer pipe and 5.3K manholes reduced overflow events, improving water quality in the Cumberland River. 

More than a decade into the Clean Water Nashville Program, the results are visible. “Working collaboratively with Metro and the rest of the program team, we’ve aggressively moved projects from the planning phase through design and construction,” said Kimberly Martin, CDM Smith program manager. “We’re addressing overflows, renewing infrastructure and improving system reliability,” she added.  

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Delivering Success Through Collaboration

See how the City of Nashville and CDM Smith modernized a century-old sewer system.

Curious to learn more?

Connect with an expert to find out how we delivered this project.

Krabacher_Michael.jpg

Michael Krabacher

Environmental Engineer

Mike implements controls and systems for construction, program and disaster management projects across the U.S. and worldwide.

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