The City of Tuscaloosa has over 700 plus miles of sewer collection lines with 66 active lift stations and over 12,000 manholes. The Water & Sewer Department also operates the Hilliard N. Fletcher Water Resource Recovery Facility, which treats over 17 million gallons of wastewater each day. The Water & Sewer Department provides uninterrupted clean water and sewer services to Tuscaloosa residents.
Additionally, the collections network of the Water & Sewer Department has a robust maintenance plan which includes acoustic pipe inspection, closed-circuit TV pipe inspection, gravity line maintenance cleaning, gravity line replacement, system point repairs, manhole inspection, manhole rehabilitation, system smoke testing, and a formal Fats, Oils & Grease (FOG) program.
Finally, an achievement that the department is especially proud of is reducing the number of sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) per year to a fraction of what it was in previous years. SSOs have been reduced by over 80% since 2009. This improvement is primarily due to the increased frequency of sewer manhole and line inspection, cleaning, and rehabilitation, combined with the City's formally adopted Fats/Oils/Grease (FOG) Management Program.
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 10/27/2026
Discharge Volume: 500 gallons approximately
Location: 2900 Block of Sunset Dr. NE.
Latitude: 33.218118
Longitude: -87.499938
Destination: UT to Black Warrior River (Oliver Lake)
Cause: Broken Line
Failure: City Crews responded to the 2900 Block of Sunset Dr NE. Once on-site crews identified a broken sewer line leaking sewer into a storm ditch. City contractors were dispatched to make repairs to the line which ended the discharge. Crews placed out pure green 24 for disinfection. SSO signage is in place. SSO volume and duration was calculated via field observation. Follow-up CCTV inspection is scheduled. The Tuscaloosa County Health Department as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 10/27/2026
Discharge Volume: 8787 gallons approximately
Location: 1300 Block of Hargrove Rd
Latitude: 33.19015
Longitude: -87.55362
Destination: SD to UT to Cypress Creek
Cause: Grease/Broken Line
Failure: City crew responded to an odor call in 1300 Block of Hargrove Rd. Once onsite crews discovered a blocked sewer line due to grease. Crews quickly utilized jet trucks to remove the blockage which ended the discharge. Post SSO CCTV inspection is scheduled. SSO volume and duration was calculated via the mannings chart and field observation. Signage is in place and the affected area was cleaned and disinfected with pure green 24. The Tuscaloosa County Health Department as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 10/19/2026
Discharge Volume: 2000 gallons approximately
Location: 3600 Block of Arcadia Dr.
Latitude: 33.197144
Longitude: -87.489757
Destination: UT to Cribbs Mill Creek
Cause: Manhole Failure
Failure: While locating City utilities, crews observed a manhole discharge on a City ROW in the 3600 Block of Arcadia Dr. City contractors were dispatched to the location to make permanent repairs to the defective manhole which ended the discharge. Crews cleaned and disinfected the SSO area. SSO signage is in place. SSO volume and duration was calculated via field observation. The Tuscaloosa County Health Department as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 10/18/2026
Discharge Volume: 200 gallons approximately
Location: 6000 Block of Hargrove RD
Latitude: 33.147062
Longitude: -87.473453
Destination: UT to Cottondale Creek
Cause: LS Equipment Failure
Failure: WRRF Crews responded to a high wet well level at LS42. Once on-site crews observed a discharge due to LS equipment failure. Crews quickly worked to get the station back online which ended the discharge. Crews cleaned and disinfected the SSO area with pure green 24. SSO signage is in place. SSO volume and duration were calculated via filed observation. The Tuscaloosa County Health Department as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 10/12/2026
Discharge Volume: 3000 gallons approximately
Location: 6392 Block of Hargrove RD
Latitude: 33.147048
Longitude: -87.473568
Destination: UT to Cottondale Creek
Cause: Broken Sewer Line
Failure: Wastewater Collections Crews responded to a sewer discharge in the 6392 block of Hargrove RD. Once on-site crews found a broken sewer line. Lift Station Crew fixed the break and the discharge stopped. Crews place out pure green 24 for disinfection. SSO signage and door notification is in place. SSO volume and duration were calculated via field observation. The Tuscaloosa County Health Department as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified