GADSDEN, AL — A legal agreement has resolved a Clean Water Act enforcement case involving alleged unpermitted pollutant discharges and permit violations connected to the City of Gadsden’s wastewater-treatment plant and sewer system, which discharge into Neely Henry Lake, part of the Coosa River, and several nearby tributaries.
The case involved conservation organizations Coosa Riverkeeper, Advance Etowah, Center for Biological Diversity, and Our Children’s Earth Foundation, along with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and the Gadsden Water Works and Sewer Board.
According to a joint statement released as part of the settlement, the Gadsden Water Works and Sewer Board (GWWSB) agreed to a series of actions without admitting liability. These actions include extensive repairs to its sewer system, more frequent inspections, increased maintenance, and additional engineering analyses aimed at preventing sewage overflows to the extent reasonably feasible.
Under the agreement, GWWSB will also pay a civil penalty to ADEM, cover litigation-related expenses, and establish a process intended to help eligible GWWSB customers pay for necessary repairs to private lateral sewer pipes connecting homes to the public sewer system. These private laterals are typically not the responsibility of the utility.
In addition, GWWSB agreed to provide one-time funding to the Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Center, operated by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The center focuses on breeding and protecting endangered fish and shellfish species, including species native to the Coosa River, which serves as the source water for the Gadsden water system.
The settlement also resolves a separate federal lawsuit filed by the conservation groups.
Coosa Riverkeeper announced plans to release additional information explaining how the settlement affects the community and to host town-hall meetings for Gadsden residents. Dates and details for those meetings will be shared through the organization’s social media channels.
According to information included in the Notice of Intent to Sue, several waterways in the Gadsden area have experienced chronically elevated levels of pathogens such as E. coli, contributing to water-quality concerns affecting aquatic life and public health. Coosa Riverkeeper’s water-quality monitoring program, Swim Guide, collects and publishes data from many of these waterways.
The organization also reported receiving multiple complaints from Etowah County residents regarding sewage overflows, including odors, overflowing manholes, and failing pump stations across Gadsden.
