Lenoir City has been classified as a Phase II municipal separate storm sewer system, or MS4, by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for several years.
 

Work will be conducted by GEOServices LLC for $4,970 out of the stormwater budget. Of that amount, Greg Buckner, Lenoir City stormwater manager, believes $2,400-$2,500 will be for lab work.
 

“Of course we have to have somebody who’s certified by the state, a certified biologist that’s had their training to go out and do the stream sampling,” Buckner said. “It’s every five years we’re required under our permit to do the sampling and the analysis, and there’s laboratory tests in there that take samples of the water.”
 

Bottom surface sampling will be conducted at four locations, including downstream Shaw Ferry Road, Kingston Street, Rock Springs Road and downstream of Lenoir City Utilities Board, according to a document provided at the city council meeting.

“They’ll look for the nutrient level, they’ll grade the macroinvertebrates,” Buckner said. “They’ll judge the stream banks, they’ll judge the riffles in that section, the amount of pulls, look for sediment that’s left behind, what kind of rock is there whether it’s bedrock, small pebbles. They’ll grade everything from the stream bed to the banks and even up on top of the bank for stream deterioration, sediment amounts, oxygen content.”