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Final NCA Report to EPA

Alabama estuaries cover an area of 610 square miles, including Mobile Bay, the fourth largest estuary on the North American continent. Mobile Bay drains a watershed of approximately 43,662 square miles, receiving an average of 460,000 gallons per second of freshwater.

ADEM Overview

ADEM Creation

A comprehensive program of environmental management for the state was established in 1982 with the passage by the Alabama Legislature of the Alabama Environmental Management Act. The law created the Alabama Environmental Management Commission and established the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, which absorbed several commissions, agencies, programs and staffs that had been responsible for implementing environmental laws.

2017-2019 ADEM Lead Testing In Public Schools Program


There is currently no federal or state regulatory requirement for testing lead levels in the drinking water at schools. However, because school aged children are especially vulnerable to the adverse health effects of elevated lead levels, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) and the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) joined together in March of 2016 to develop a voluntary school testing program. In December of 2016, the Master Plan and the detailed Sampling Plan for the program were finalized and posted on the ADEM website.

Cybersecurity Resources for Public Water and Wastewater Systems

Recent attacks on drinking water and other utilities have increased interest in protecting Alabama’s critical infrastructure from bad actors in cyberspace. ADEM strongly encourages each water and wastewater system to take commonsense security steps and conduct periodic cybersecurity assessment to prevent such attacks. Some helpful resources can be found here:

Common Water Quality Complaints



Color Problems



Brown, red, orange, or yellow water is usually caused by rust. The different colors can be attributed to varying chemical oxidation states of the iron (rust) and by varying concentrations of the rust in the water. There are two major sources that can cause water to be rust: the water mains, or the water pipes in your building. Iron can also occur naturally in your water. Another possible cause of brown water is manganese.

Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 Water Quality Certification (WQC)

Section 401(a)(1) of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. Section 1251, et seq., requires that certain types of activities obtain a state WQC. The Department issues certification, for a period generally limited to five (5) years from the date of issuance, when there is reasonable assurance that discharges resulting from the proposed activities will not violate applicable water quality standards established under Section 303 of the CWA and Title 22, Section 22-22-9(g), Code of Alabama 1975, provided the applicant acts in accordance with conditions specified in the certification.

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