Birmingham Water Works

The Birmingham Water Works is a public utility supplying drinking water to 750,000 customers in Birmingham, most of Jefferson County and parts of four other counties. The system, established in 1951, delivers 100 million gallons of water per day over 3,858 miles of main pipes. It has been recognized as one of the top five water systems in the United States and rates consistently high in water quality.

For most of its history, the Water Works was a department of the City of Birmingham. It acquired the water system developed by the city of Moody in St Clair County in 1992.

The Birmingham Water Works began operating under an independent board in 2001. The board chairman, appointed in 2015, is Ronald Mims and the general manager is Mac Underwood.

On April 5, 2006 the board of the Birmingham Water Works announced a sale of $90 million in revenue bonds to fund capital projects and meet financial obligations for "the next two to three years."

On February 12, 2009 the board approved a $329 million expansion plan to cover capital projects over the next 12-15 years. The plan calls for a new pump station on the Black Warrior River, about three miles south of Bankhead Lock and Dam, and two pipelines, adding 60 million gallons per day to the system's capacity. The proposed expansion would accommodate projected demand through 2075.

In 2010 the Board hired Raftelis Financial Consultants to report on the feasibility of the system acquiring the Jefferson County Sewer System out of a possible bankruptcy. The report recommended against the purchase, concluding that rates would have to be increased too much to be worthwhile.

In 2011 the utility approved the first of several bids to replace aging water mains throughout the service area.

In 2015 the Alabama State Legislature changing the compensation of board members from $285 per meeting to $1,000 per month, requiring a public vote on reimbursed expenses, limiting tenure to two four-year terms, and establishing requirements for public hearings and votes for future rate increases. Beginning in 2017 the board expanded from five to nine members, with three of the four new seats be filled from areas outside the city of Birmingham which are served by the utility.

Water sources

Black Warrior Basin

• Sipsey Fork
• Mulberry Fork
• Inland Lake / Blackburn Fork
• Village Creek (1873 - 1887)
• Five Mile Creek (1887 - 1938)

Cahaba Basin

• Cahaba River
• Little Cahaba River
• Lake Purdy

Locust Fork property

Until 2009 the Water Works owned 3,200 acres of undeveloped property bordering Locust Fork in anticipation of constructing a reservoir. The board determined that the project was not feasible and sold the land for $4.5 million to Jeffrey Palmer. Palmer made a $500,000 donation to the H2O Foundation and agreed to accept contract stipulations preventing clear-cutting, coal-mining, landfills and hazardous waste storage. He agreed to maintain a 50-foot buffer around all tributaries on the land and also indicated he would create a conservation easement on the land abutting the river.

Board

As of January 2017, the Birmingham Water Works Board consists of nine members, who can serve no more than two four-year terms. Six of the members are appointed by the Birmingham City Council, one by the Jefferson County Mayor's Association, one by the Shelby County Commission and one by the Blount County Commission. Board members are compensated for their service at the rate of $1,000 per month, with limited opportunity to be reimbursed for related travel expenses.

From the time the independent board was created in 2001 until it was modified by the Alabama State Legislature in 2016, the board had five members which were appointed to staggered six-year terms by the Birmingham City Council. Board compensation was previously set at $285 per meeting with no clear limits on what constituted a meeting, and reimbursement for travel and other expenses was determined by the board itself.

2017

• , appointed by the Birmingham City Council
• , appointed by the Birmingham City Council
• , appointed by the Birmingham City Council
• , appointed by the Birmingham City Council
• , appointed by the Birmingham City Council
• , appointed by the Birmingham City Council
• , appointed by the Jefferson County Mayor's Association
• , appointed by the Shelby County Commission
• , appointed by the Blount County Commission

2015-2017

• Ronald Mims, chair, appointed 2015
• Kevin McKie, first vice-chair, appointed 2015
• William Muhammad, appointed 2016
• George Munchus, appointed 2012
• Sherry Lewis, assistant secretary/treasurer

Former board members

• Jackie Robinson, -2016
• Ann Florie, 2010-2016
• David Herring, -2015
• Anthony Barnes, -2012

Management

• Mac Underwood, General Manager
• Sonny Jones, Assistant General Manager of Engineering and Maintenance
• Michael Vann, Director of Water Resources and External Affairs

Facilities

• North Birmingham Water Works (1873-1938)
• Cahaba Pump Station (1890 - present)
• Inland Pump Station
• Western Filter Plant
• H. Y. Carson Filter Plant (1972- present)
• Putnam Station Filter Plant
• Shades Mountain Filter Plant
• Mulberry Intake Station
• Sipsey Intake Station
• Birmingham Water Works Tunnel

References

• "Water Works Board approves $90 million bond sale for capital projects" (April 5, 2006) Birmingham Business Journal
• Bryant, Joseph D. (February 13, 2008) "Birmingham, Alabama Water Works Board approves $239 million plan to extend capacity." The Birmingham News
• Spencer, Thomas (August 21, 2009) "Birmingham Water Works Board votes to sell its 3,200 acres on the Locust Fork River to Tuscaloosa businessman Jeffrey Todd Palmer in a $5 million deal." The Birmingham News
• Archibald, John (January 22, 2010) "Coup topples Water Works duo." The Birmingham News
• Bryant, Joseph D. (October 21, 2010) "Birmingham Water Works study rules out plan to buy sewer." The Birmingham News
• Bryant, Joseph D. (March 14, 2011) "Major pipe replacement project begun by Birmingham Water Works." The Birmingham News
• Bryant, Joseph D. (May 14, 2015) "Birmingham Water Works changes take effect today following governor's signing of legislation." The Birmingham News

External link

• Birmingham Water Works website