New Bipartisan Bill Aims To Tackle Alabama’s Wastewater Woes

Rural wastewater management is a critical problem in Alabama, particularly in the Black Belt region, where an estimated 40–90% of households in some areas have failing or non-existent septic systems, leading to raw sewage exposure.

A bipartisan bill submitted by West Alabama Democrat Congresswoman Terri Sewell and East Alabama Republican Mike Rogers would help households install or upgrade wastewater systems through a USDA grant program.

Get our free mobile app

A joint press release announced the Rural Decentralized Water Systems Reauthorization Act had been filed in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation's aim is to strengthen and expand the existing United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Decentralized Water Systems Program which provides grants to help low-and moderate-income households install or upgrade individually owned decentralized wastewater systems.

"I have seen firsthand the health and environmental hazards caused by failing wastewater systems in rural Alabama," Rep. Sewell stated in the press release. "No family should have to endure these conditions simply because they cannot afford the exorbitant cost of maintaining their own wastewater system or lack access to municipal lines. In 2018, we took an important step toward addressing this crisis by making federal grants available to low- and moderate-income households. We are working hard to strengthen and expand this program so that we can provide greater assistance to the families who need it."

The Rural Septic Tank Access Act was created by Sewell and Rogers and was included in the 2018 Farm Bill.

According to the press release the Rural Decentralized Water Systems Reauthorization Act:

• Reauthorizes the Rural Decentralized Water Systems Grant Program through 2031
• Reinstates eligibility for loans to individuals earning up to 100 percent of the area median income.
• Targets funding through subgrants to individuals earning 60 percent or less of the area median income.
  Increases the maximum subgrant or loan amount from $15,000 to $20,000.
• Allows subgrant funding to include the cost of a performance warranty for individually owned household decentralized wastewater systems.

Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).