Contamination?? EPA Asked To Intervene In Alabama Water System

A petition dated October 9th, 2023 filed on behalf of We Matter Eight Mile Community Association has asked the United States Environmental Protection Agency to intervene in the water system affecting the Prichard and Chickasaw communities.

The petition cites a violation of state law and the Safe Drinking Water Act, water leaks that present a severe risk of contamination, inadequate disinfection occurring at repeated and various locations in its distribution system, and issues.

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The EPA is being asked to intervene in the petition and provide the following:

1) EPA’s assistance in funding upgrades to the drinking water system,
2) EPA’s participation in the receivership proceedings involving the PWWSB and Synovus
Bank to inform the judge that EPA is considering taking action, and
3) EPA’s enforcement and development of a long-term consent decree with the Board that addresses the drinking water infrastructure and contamination issues discussed in the petition.

The problems in the petition create health risks and reliability concerns for residents in the low-income community of Prichard. According to Fox News, the city of 19,000 has a population that is more than 90% Black and a median income of $32,900, according to Census records.

According to Fox News, the President of the We Matter Eight Mile Community Association Carletta Davis said in a statement,

"Those responsible for protecting our right to clean, affordable water have epically failed us."

The petition also says that the state of Alabama has not acted to protect Prichard.

You can see the full details of the petition by clicking here.