Stop the Limestone Water Treatment Plant Expansion!

The Limestone Water Utility Operating Company is attempting to nearly double the capacity of the Limestone Water Treatment Plant—from 0.25 to 0.45 million gallons per day. This expansion proposal would replace the current system with an industrial-sized plant featuring a 47-foot tower and increase truck traffic in the neighborhood.  

As residents of River Rest, we must oppose this expansion. Limestone has proven time and again that they are incapable of managing the facility they have now. Residents remain plagued by equipment failures, unattended safety hazards, and massive raw sewage spills—including a 300,000-gallon leak in 2025 that contaminated our waterways.  

Join us as we petition the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) to DENY the Limestone expansion. 

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

  1. Sign and share the petition

  2. Submit a letter BELOW to TDEC and the Williamson County Commission in opposition to expansion. 

  3. RSVP to attend and/or speak at the TDEC hearing on Wednesday, Feb 11, at 5:00pm at the Williamson County Administrative Complex Auditorium (1320 West Main Street, Franklin, TN 37064). 

  4. Attend our town hall meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 6:00pm at River Rest Clubhouse (1505 Recreation Road, Franklin, TN). 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION

WRITE YOUR LETTER HERE

TALKING POINTS

Loss of Community Assets & Quality of Life
Constant sewage odors, noise pollution, truck traffic, and industrial activities are incompatible with residential life and have seized our common spaces.

  • The “Poop Field”:The lower back field, once a hub for youth sports and community camp outs, has been rendered unusable due to odor. We are a neighborhood, not a septic drainage field.

  • Visual & Noise Pollution: The proposal includes a 40-foot tower and industrial lighting. We request a new design with a lower vertical footprint, robust visual buffers/vegetative screening, and noise-abatement enclosures to manage the sound of the facility’s generators.

  • Industrial Traffic:Constant truck traffic regularly damages our roads and threatens the safety of our residents. We are a neighborhood, not Limestone’s driveway.

A Track Record of Operational Failure 
Expansion is a reward for success, not a remedy for constant failure.

  • Frequent Overflows:Since Dec 2024, multiple spills have flooded our fields with raw sewage and toilet paper.

  • Operational Negligence:Manholes are frequently left open and unattended, posing a safety risk to residents and children and causing widespread odor.

  • Short Term Solutions:The operator relies on temporary repairs and applying lime over sewage spills rather than addressing the root technical and institutional failures.

Lack of Transparency
Limestone has hidden its violations and operational failures from the state (TDEC) by neglecting to report them through the proper channels. They are either incapable of detecting their own violations or unconcerned with the truth.

  • Hidden Spills:A massive 300,000+ gallon spill into Cartwright Creek and the Harpeth River in July 2025 was only confirmed after residents complained; the operator did not self-report.

  • Data Gaps:Major events, such as the Christmas 2025 leak, remain missing or “under revision” in the public Dataviewer.

  • Bottom line:Why should a company that cannot accurately detect or report current issues be trusted with a larger, more complex facility?

Financial & Accountability Concerns

  • Unjustified Hikes:In the wake of several operational failures, CSWR/Limestone requested a large rate hike from the Tennessee Public Utility Commission (TPUC) that we formally opposed. TPUC approved a much smaller rate hike.

  • Infrastructure Neglect: The operator uses our private roads (Recreation & Treatment Plant Rd) for heavy equipment but refuses to take accountability and contribute to basic maintenance—insisting residents cover the costs for contractors and stalling negotiations