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: 6/9/2025
Discharge: 1,000 gals. Approx.
Location: 4000 Block of Greenview Dr.
Latitude: 33.186930
Longitude: -87.596902
Destination: UT to Cypress Creek
Cause: Lift Station Equipment Failure
Failure: City crews responded to a high wet well alarm at LS18. Vac trucks are being used to mitigate the discharge. Crews are monitoring the location. SSO signage is in place. The affected area was be cleaned and disinfected. The Tuscaloosa County Health Agency as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified.
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 5/27/2025
Discharge: 170,400 gals. Approx.
Location: Cousette St. and Kaulton Rd.
Latitude: 33.178455
Longitude: -87.569828
Destination: UT to Cypress Creek
Cause: Rainfall event
Failure: City crews responded to a MH discharge. Crews are monitoring the location. SSO signage is in place. The affected area was be cleaned and disinfected. The Tuscaloosa County Health Agency as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified.
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 5/27/2025
Discharge: 234,300 gals. Approx.
Location:4400 Block of Reese Phifer Ave
Latitude: 33.170565
Longitude: -87.564148
Destination: UT to Cribbs Mill Creek
Cause: Rainfall event
Failure: City crews responded to a MH discharge. Crews are monitoring the location. SSO signage is in place. The affected area will be cleaned and disinfected. The Tuscaloosa County Health Agency as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified.
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 5/27/2025
Discharge: 1,000 gals. approx.
Location: 4000 Block of Skyland Blvd E
Latitude: 33.173518
Longitude: -87.477443
Destination: UT to Cottondale Creek
Cause: Rainfall event
Failure: Wastewater maintenance techs assessed the high-level alarm at LS13. The discharge was attributed to a rainfall event. Crews monitored the location until the discharge ended. Crews cleaned and disinfected the affected area with pure green 24. SSO signage is in place. SSO volume and duration were calculated via SCADA and field observation. The Tuscaloosa County Health Agency as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified.
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 5/25/2025
Discharge: 1,000 gals. approx.
Location: 4000 Block of Skyland Blvd E
Latitude: 33.173518
Longitude: -87.477443
Destination: UT to Cottondale Creek
Cause: Wet Weather
Failure: Wastewater maintenance techs assessed the high-level alarm at LS13. The discharge was attributed to wet weather. Crews monitored the location until the discharge ended. Crews cleaned and disinfected the affected area with pure green 24. SSO signage is in place. SSO volume and duration were calculated via SCADA and field observation. The Tuscaloosa County Health Agency as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified.
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 5/21/2025
Discharge: 3,500 gals. approx.
Location: 30th St. & 1st Ct.
Latitude: 33.183852
Longitude: -87.538322
Destination: Cribbs Mill Creek
Cause: Grease/Debris
Failure: Wastewater crews responded to a MH discharge at 30th St. and 1st Ct. Once on site crews observed MHs 5426 & 5419a discharging. Crews utilized jet truck to jet and remove the blockage which ended the discharge. Crews then proceeded to clean and disinfect the SSO area with pure green 24 and lime. SSO signage is in place and and crews talked with nearby residence. Follow up CCTV inspection is scheduled. SSO volume and duration was calculated via field observation. The Tuscaloosa County Health Agency as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified.
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 5/18/2025
Discharge: 16,640 gals. approx.
Location: Point Clear Rd LS37
Latitude: 33.271604
Longitude: -87.517414
Destination: SD to UT to Lake Tuscaloosa
Cause: LS Power Failure/inclement weather
Failure: At approximately 10:29am, LS crews responded to a high wet well and power failure alarm. Upon arrival, it was confirmed that a discharge was occurring at manhole 96A due to the power outage/inclement weather. Crews acted swiftly and initiated the on-site generator to restore operations. Unfortunately, the generator experienced mechanical issues after a period of operation. In response, a backup generator was mobilized to the site. During the interim period, vacuum trucks were deployed to mitigate and contain the discharge as effectively as possible. Once the backup generator was installed and fully operational, normal operations resumed, and the overflow ceased. The estimated volume and duration of the SSO have been determined through a combination of field observation, SCADA system data, and manhole spillage charts. SSO signage is in place and pure green 24 was applied for disinfectant. Environmental sampling of the receiving waters is complete. The Tuscaloosa County Health Agency as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified.
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 5/12/2025
Discharge: 4,100 gals. approx.
Location: 4000 Block of Greenview Dr.
Latitude: 33.186930
Longitude: -87.596902
Destination: UT to Cypress Creek
Cause: Rainfall Event
Failure: City crews responded to a high wet well alarm at LS18. Once on site crews identified a wet well discharge. Vac trucks were used to mitigate the discharge. Crews are monitoring the location. SSO signage is in place. The affected area was be cleaned and disinfected. The Tuscaloosa County Health Agency as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified.
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 5/10/2025
Discharge: 275,200 gals. approx.
Location: Cousette St. and Kaulton Rd.
Latitude: 33.178455
Longitude: -87.569828
Destination: UT to Cypress Creek
Cause: Rainfall Event
Failure: City crews responded to a MH discharge. Crews are monitoring the location. SSO signage is in place. The affected area was be cleaned and disinfected. The Tuscaloosa County Health Agency as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified.
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 5/10/2025
Discharge: 8,050 gals approx.
Location: 4000 Block of Greenview Dr.
Latitude: 33.186930
Longitude: -87.596902
Destination: UT to Cypress Creek
Cause: Rainfall Event
Failure: City crews responded to a high wet well alarm at LS18. Once on site crews identified a wet well discharge. Crews are monitoring the location. SSO signage is in place. The affected area was be cleaned and disinfected. The Tuscaloosa County Health Agency as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified.
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 5/10/2025
Discharge: 420,050 gals approx.
Location: 4400 Block of Reese Phifer Ave
Latitude: 33.170565
Longitude: -87.564148
Destination: UT to Cribbs Mill Creek
Cause: Rainfall Event
Failure: City crews responded to a MH discharge. Crews are monitoring the location. SSO signage is in place. The affected area was be cleaned and disinfected. The Tuscaloosa County Health Agency as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified.
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 5/10/2025
Discharge: 1,000 gallons approx.
Location: 4000 Block of Skyland Blvd E
Latitude: 33.173518
Longitude: -87.477443
Destination: UT to Cottondale Creek
Cause: Rainfall Event
Failure: City crews responded to a high wet well alarm at LS13. Once on site crews identified a wet well discharge. Crews are monitoring the location. SSO signage is in place. The affected area was be cleaned and disinfected. The Tuscaloosa County Health Agency as well as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been notified.