Environmental Groups Urge EPA to Address Issues in Troubled Alabama Water System

South Alabama residents are facing water troubles, and environmental groups are stepping in. They've asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take action in Prichard, where a water system has been plagued by leaks, contamination, and financial mismanagement. This situation is putting residents in a low-income community at risk.

On Monday, the Southern Environmental Law Center, in collaboration with the We Matter Eight Mile Community Association and more than 20 environmental justice and faith-based groups, filed a petition with the EPA. This petition seeks the agency's assistance in dealing with problems at the Prichard Water Works and Sewer Board, using its emergency powers if necessary.

The petition reveals that over 60% of Prichard's drinking water is lost due to leaks, which raises the risk of contamination. State regulators have also observed insufficient disinfection at various points in the water system. These issues not only pose health risks but also make the water supply unreliable for the residents of this low-income community.

Prichard, with a population of 19,000, is home to a community that is more than 90% Black and has a median income of $32,900, according to Census records. Carletta Davis, the president of the We Matter Eight Mile Community Association, expressed her frustration, stating, "Those responsible for protecting our right to clean, affordable water have epically failed us."

The petition's key requests include the EPA's involvement in financing upgrades to the drinking water system, participation in receivership proceedings, and the development and enforcement of a long-term consent decree to address infrastructure issues.

Synovus Bank, a financial services company based in Columbus, Georgia, disclosed in June that the water system is in default on a $55 million bond issue. They asked for the water system to be placed in receivership, a move that the water system is opposing.

The water system itself has indicated that since the hiring of Mac Underwood, a former manager of the Birmingham Water Works, in January, significant progress has been made in addressing the concerns. They have even proposed that a judge appoint Underwood as a receiver if deemed necessary.