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: 10/19/2026
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
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
Date: 10/2/2026
Discharge Volume: 1000 gallons approximately
Location: 1000 Block of Brandywine Rd.
Latitude: 33.239861
Longitude: -87.521388
Destination: UT to Black Warrior River
Cause: Broken Sewer Line
Failure: Wastewater Collections Crews responded to a sewer discharge in the 1000 Block of Brandywine Rd. Once on-site crews found a broken sewer line. City contractors were dispatched to the location to make repairs which ended the discharge. 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