Putnam County is expanding and updating its transfer station to increase waste handling capacity and allow for critical infrastructure repairs.
Incoming Solid Waste Director Brian Reed said the first of the three-phase renovation project is expected to be completed by the end of August. Reed said the expansion is necessary because the county has been growing for awhile and requires more space to handle waste safely and efficiently.
“We’re already in a tight space,” Reed said. “We’re taking up more of the space that we do have available. So it, it’s been a little hectic in here, but you know, we’re looking forward to the future of it and what it’ll help us with.”
Reed said the current transfer station floor requires significant repairs that cannot be completed while the facility is operating six days a week. Reed said the new capacity will allow the county to divert operations so the existing concrete floor can have the extended cure time necessary to set properly.
“It’ll give us a lot more room to be able to operate and to do things in a safe and efficient manner,” Reed said. “This portion, um, phase one will be beneficial. Really what we’re looking for is getting through all three phases of it.”
Reed said the transfer station serves as a hub where commercial trucks offload waste onto a tipping floor before it is loaded into semi-trailers for transport to a landfill. Reed said while the number of vehicles entering the station has not seen a massive spike, the overall volume of waste being processed continues to rise.
“Obviously Middle Tennessee has some issues going on right now with their waste and landfill capacity,” Reed said. “But, you know, you don’t want your county or neighborhoods with dump sites where people have just illegally dumped stuff all over the side of the roads. That’s not a good look.”
Reed said the county also operates convenience centers for residential use to prevent every citizen from having to navigate the heavy equipment and truck traffic at the transfer station. Reed said the department is currently focused on completing the first phase of the expansion before determining the funding and timeline for the final two phases.
“Having a way to get rid of, to properly dispose of trash and in the most environmentally way possible is, I mean, it is invaluable,” Reed said.
Reed is currently in training and is scheduled to officially take over as the Director of Solid Waste at the beginning of July.