Morristown is the Hamblen County seat, just north of the Jefferson County line. Cherokee Lake, on the Holston River, runs along the north side of the county, and Panther Creek State Park sits on its shore.
Outside the city sewer lines, homes run on septic, and Hamblen County is not one of TDEC’s contract counties. That means septic permits and soil evaluations come from TDEC’s Division of Water Resources through its field office, not a county septic program. The process is similar: an evaluation of the soil first, then a construction permit, then an inspection before the system is covered.
The ground is the long valleys and ridges that run northeast to southwest across this part of the state. Valley floors have deeper clay over limestone; the ridges have shale, which breaks up into thin, rocky soil that is hard on both drain fields and buckets.
What we do in Morristown
- Land clearing and tree removal
- House sites, pads and footers
- Septic installs to the permit
- Underground utility trenches
- Gravel driveways and drainage
- Pool digs and installs
QMorristown questions
Asked about Morristown.
Who issues septic permits in Hamblen County?
TDEC’s Division of Water Resources. Hamblen is not one of the state’s contract counties, so you apply to the state program, which handles the soil evaluation and the construction permit.
Can you trench water and sewer lines for a new home in Morristown?
Yes. Underground utilities are part of what we do: trenches for water, sewer and electrical conduit, dug to depth and backfilled, with an 811 ticket called in before we dig.
Is shale ground a problem for septic?
It can be. Shale soils are often shallow, with rock close to the surface, which limits how much soil there is to treat the wastewater. The soil evaluation decides whether a conventional system works or an alternative design is needed.