The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) has begun administering Environmental Health Assessments to Lowndes County residents as part of the initial phase of an agreement to help residents install new septic systems.
This agreement is the result of an 18 month-long federal investigation of the ADPH that found the department guilty of ultimately discriminating against the predominantly Black, low income residents of Lowndes County who have endured a long history of sanitation problems and exposure to raw sewage.
Environmental Health Assessments have been sent out to residents to complete so that the ADPH can begin to work on installing septic tanks in the area. The assessments are available online and will be additionally sent through the mail to Lowndes County residents. One assessment can be completed per household and will help determine which residents are at greatest risk of exposure to raw sewage.
“These assessments have been designed with information in mind for finding out what persons in Lowndes County might have issues with their own set sewage disposal system,” said Dr. Karen Landers, Chief Medical Officer for the ADPH.
Households that rely on “straight-piping,” or the method of using PVC pipe to dispose of untreated sewage into yards, are encouraged to complete an assessment because they are at the greatest risk of exposure to raw sewage.
“Persons who have failing systems that have no access to a system at all and are straight pumping [or “straight-piping”] their sewage, which basically just means that the sewage goes in a pump and runs out into the yard, those persons would really need to be served first, with any funding that might be available, because they have no system at all,” said Dr. Landers.
Dr. Landers said ADPH is not responsible for installing the septic tanks but will provide assistance and resources for residents who are eligible. The department received a $2.2 million allocation from the American Rescue Plant Act to help fund the installations.
“Whichever group receives that funding will be a resource that we can refer residents to regarding repairing or replacing their systems,” said Dr. Landers.
Finding a company that can work with the area’s notorious Black Belt Soil will be important as the soil is one of the largest causes for the county’s sewage problems. Dr. Landers said that there is a possibility that residents may receive a different kind of sewage disposal system.
“The soil in some areas of Lowndes County is really not the best soil for an in ground septic system tank, but there may need to be an alternative septic system designed.”
The ADPH’s Lowndes County Septic System Program has information regarding the ongoing sewage development.
For more on this program or to fill out an Environmental Health Assessment, visit this website.
Questions about the assessment can be answered by calling the ADPH at (334) 206-5371 or emailing AL.Lowndes.EJ@usdoj.gov.
