Who Needs a Sewer?
There’s no doubt that south Mobile County needs domestic and industrial waste treatment capacity. That’s a given but to discharge partially treated wastewater into the highly productive waters of Portersville Bay, or any estuary for that matter, makes very little sense. ADEM doesn’t allow discharges into the Gulf. This is a good policy but may be flawed in comparison to policies that allow discharge into estuaries that have even less assimilative capacity than the Gulf.
Unfortunately the scenario that sends sewer lines all the way down either DIP or Bellingrath Road is also problematic. That will open up thousands of acres of natural habitat to expanded development - and increase the volume of treated waste at the head of Mobile Bay.
They need to be looking much more thoroughly at land disposal options that maximize the natural system’s ability to absorb and cleanse the water on its way to our wells and surface streams!
Tags: estuary, Mobile County, sewer, wastewater
April 14th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Dear Lagniappe,
Thanks for bringing awarenss to this crucial matter. Our taxpayers dollars are being waster and only to ruin our environment. Most of the good citizens
of South Mobile County are in shock that our elected officials are
letting this happen and in the process wasting our money. This system
will benefit very, very few while so many are in need of this service.
Other alternatives exist. Our state and federal leaders seem blind
to the results. Funding comes through FEMA and ADECA.
Bet Riley, Sessions, Shelby and Bonner would not allow funding of
such a plant along the shores of areas where they have homes and vacation.
(Baldwin County, of course)
April 15th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
What alternatives exist? What do people in Gulf Shores,Orange Beach, etc.
, do with their sewer waste?
I am one of the homeowners in the BLB-Coden area who are in need of some
type of sewer relief. I know there are lots more of us. If a septic system
was reasonable, in price and application, that would be the way to go.
Alas, a 20,000 dollar septic tank is not an option.
Instead of getting together to fight a sewer plant, why not get together
and try to find a suitable option for all of us.