Alabama considers itself “water rich,” with rivers and ground water filling apparent needs for agriculture, hydroelectric production, and home use. Still, environmentalists rank the state among the worst for water pollution, and blame governmental mismanagement for problems including no regulation of water use or dam construction. This prompted the Alabama Public Radio news team to spend most of 2015 investigating the condition of Alabama’s water supply and the health of its rivers.
I began the project by travelling from one end of Alabama to the other to answer the question, “where does your water come from.” The northern two thirds of the state rely on river water, which is susceptible to industrial and urban pollution, and the southern third uses ground water, where variation in rainfall makes this supply more vulnerable to drought.
APR’s MacKenzie Bates focused on politics, and a new reaction to the “water war” between Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. Stakeholders in all three states, including developers, fishermen, environmentalists, and the tourism industry have banded together to create their own water regulatory board to govern how they use their water resources. Each member has a vote and a veto.
APR’s Alex AuBuchon spotlighted the water pollution problem in the community of Uniontown. This impoverished community in Alabama’s “black belt” region became home to hundreds of millions of tons of poisonous coal ash from a 2008 dam break involving the Tennessee Valley Authority. The ash, laced with arsenic, cadmium, and mercury is stored in a landfill near the town. Local residents complain of milky water, strange smells, and health issues.
APR’s Stan Ingold travelled to Mobile to report on the ongoing threat from storm water runoff. Fourteen percent of all the fresh water in the United States flows through five rivers into Mobile Bay. Environmentalists complain that “one hundred year” rain events occur once or twice every year in this Gulf coast community, overwhelming local infrastructure, and flooding the bay with sediments, pollutants, and fresh water which is toxic for nearby oyster beds which form the basis of the local seafood industry. Stan looked into the issue and new multi-city efforts to address it.
“Where the water flows” is respectfully submitted for your kind consideration.
Pat Duggins, news director
Alabama Public Radio
