Neighbors living near a proposed wastewater treatment plant site outside Lebanon are banding together, worried that a decision on where the city puts its next sewer facility could reshape their rural corner of Wilson County without their input. The concern is sharpest around Site 7, near Horn Springs Road and Oriole Drive, where residents say they mostly live outside city limits and therefore have no dedicated Lebanon City Council member fighting for them.
Mike Maynard, who lives next to Site 7, helped lead a recent meeting at the Five Oaks clubhouse to get neighbors organized, according to News Channel 5 Nashville. Maynard said neighbors still have time to figure out their best course of action, and that they will be more effective working together as a team rather than individually, per the same report. Michael Hershey, who also lives near the site, told the station he was shocked that a sewer plant might land in what has been a largely rural area, and said neighbors lack a voter voice in the decision since so many live beyond Lebanon's city limits.
Three Sites, One Vote Still Months Away
The Lebanon City Council has already passed a resolution granting the city access to study the three finalist properties, a process that includes soil testing, geotechnical work and environmental studies, the station reports. The August 4 recommendations were Sites 22, 13, and 7, with Site 2 removed by amendment, according to WKRN News 2. The council is expected to vote on a final site in a few months, though the station's report notes the timeline has already stretched on.
That timeline traces back to a formal screening process. The Lebanon Wastewater Site Search Committee was formed in June 2026 to recommend at least three sites to the Lebanon City Council, according to Main Street Media of Tennessee. The committee evaluated 20 candidate properties before making its recommendations. Engineer Steve Jones said the site studies would take at least 90 additional days after the city secured right-of-entry, per the Lebanon WWTP Site Selection Public Record Archive, and Mayor Rick Bell stated during an August public meeting that he would vote against selecting Site 22 in the event of any tie.
Why The City Needs A New Plant At All
The city is seeking a new wastewater facility as its existing plant ages and nears capacity. Wilson County's overall population reached roughly 175,000 in 2025, according to USAFacts. The city's existing wastewater treatment facility on Hartmann Drive was constructed in 1963 and is nearing capacity, per Fox 17.
Extending the required environmental, soil and geotechnical studies on the three finalist sites means the evaluation will stretch into next year, and that delay is costing the city money. Main Street Media of Tennessee reports the city expects to miss a September state funding deadline worth approximately $360,000 as a direct result of the extended review.
County Officials Push Back Too
City neighbors aren't the only ones raising objections. The Wilson County Commission passed a formal resolution opposing placement of the new plant on unincorporated county land outside Lebanon's city limits, according to WKRN News 2. In response, the debate continued over Lebanon's municipal sewer system and areas outside city limits.
Opposition isn't confined to Site 7 either. Residents have also launched separate Change.org petitions opposing Site 7 and Site 13, with 534 and 610 signatures respectively, according to Change.org, showing the NIMBY-style pushback spans multiple suburban corridors rather than one neighborhood. Near Site 7, the city's review of the proposed site is continuing.
For now, the neighbors organizing around Site 7 say the plant's potential effect on property values and their way of life is what's driving them to act while the studies are underway. They have launched their own petition and a Facebook group to raise awareness, according to News Channel 5 Nashville, and Lebanon city officials had not yet provided comment when the station published its report.
