Contract signed to install septic tanks for Lowndes County residents

Action is being taken to help solve the long-running raw sewage issues in parts of Lowndes County.

The Alabama Department of Public Health has announced it has signed a contract with the Lowndes County Unincorporated Wastewater Program Sewer Board (LCUWP) for the installation of septic systems on affected properties.

ADPH says the contract is a milestone in the progress of an interim agreement it signed with the U.S. Departments of Justice  and Health and Human Services last year.

Since then, ADPH says it analyzed health risks related to exposure to sewage from failing onsite septic systems and has also started the Lowndes County Septic System Improvement Program to install ADPH-approved septic systems that can properly dispose of onsite sewage.

The LCUWP will now administer the new program for ADPH.

ADPH says its assessment asks residents concerning failing septic systems or straight pipes, location of raw sewage on the property, how often raw sewage backs up into the home, and the age and medical conditions of household members that might place them at higher risk of becoming sick from exposure to sewage.

Based on the ranking system ADPH developed with DOJ, HHS and the CDC, ADPH has prioritized the first round of septic system installations.

ADPH urges Lowndes County residents to fill out the assessment form immediately because the number of septic systems installed is limited to available funding which, for this contract with LCUWP, is $1,500,000 appropriated by the Alabama Legislature from the American Recovery Plan Act. The Environmental Health Assessment is available online: CLICK HERE

More information is available at the Lowndes County Health Department or at the ADPH Bureau of Environmental Services website. The public can also visit the Lowndes County Septic System Improvement Program web page at or call (334) 206-5373 to learn more.