Prichard Wastewater has serious ongoing issues with treatment of sewage and sewage spills. Between 2021 and 2023, the utility had 309 spills totaling more than 45 million gallons. Its treatment plants release 5.2 million gallons per day of wastewater.
Prichard Wastewater has violated its permit numerous times over the last several years, including bacteria levels 4,000 percent above its permitted limits. These issues have raised serious public health concerns, with sewage spills and poorly treated wastewater impacting the safety of local and downstream waterbodies for swimming and recreational activities. These issues highlight the utility’s operational and infrastructural inadequacies, necessitating urgent reforms to protect community health and affected waterways.
The non-profit Moonshot Missions recommends MAWSS take over the Prichard water system; a Mobile County judge issues a ruling adopting the recommendation. This ruling encourages local legislators to propose necessary legislation.
John Young is appointed as receiver to oversee Prichard’s water system and provide recommendations. His early findings indicate a need for either a state-appointed utility authority or a takeover by MAWSS.
Prichard Utilities enters into another consent order with ADEM. This order requires the utility to establish a comprehensive compliance plan, with a target date for resolution by October 2025 and treatment plant compliance by October 2027.
Exceedances continue, with Enterococcus levels repeatedly exceeding allowable limits. One significant event in August sees bacteria levels at Carlos Morris WWTP exceed the daily maximum by 868 percent.
Between 2021 and 2023, 309 sewage spills occur. The average spill duration is 18 hours, with an average volume of 148,000 gallons. More than 30 million gallons is estimated to have spilled into area waterways.
Prichard’s wastewater treatment plants experience numerous spills, with violations including over 2,000 percent exceedances of Enterococcus. In one case, the Stanley Brooks WWTP records a release where bacterial levels exceed permitted limits by 3,000 percent.
ADEM issues a consent order to PWWSB, requiring immediate action to address ongoing violations at the Carlos Morris and Stanley Brooks WWTPs. Prichard Utilities is required to develop a comprehensive SSO response plan.
PWWSB continues to struggle with compliance, with frequent sanitary sewer overflows and exceedances. These issues draw increasing scrutiny from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), which begins issuing consent orders to address non-compliance.
In 2014, Prichard voters approve a referendum for MAWSS to take over, with 52.5 percent voting in favor. MAWSS officials vote to walk away from the takeover, citing a “poison pill” contract with Severn Trent Services.
Prichard voters approve a referendum to dissolve the Prichard Water Works and Sewer Board, transferring assets to MAWSS. The court invalidates the 2012 referendum; the Prichard Water Board resumes control of the utility.
Despite upgrades, the PWWSB struggles to maintain compliance with state and federal regulations. The Carlos Morris and Stanley Brooks wastewater treatment plants face recurring violations of their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits.
Mobile Baykeeper sues the Prichard Water Works and Sewer Board after uncovering undetected sewage spills. Under the settlement, PWWSB commits to a water quality monitoring program at Eight Mile Creek and upgrades its two treatment plants.
A cracked pipe in Prichard’s sewer system pours millions of gallons of raw sewage into a wooded area over five months. The spill went undetected for months, leading to serious public health and environmental risks.
