In Alabama’s Black Belt, thousands of families live without reliable sanitation. Clay-heavy soil makes septic systems fail, and poverty makes alternatives unaffordable. Many residents are left with only one option—straight piping raw sewage into yards and ditches. This practice endangers health, pollutes the environment, and exposes a deep divide in how basic services are delivered in America.
"It is estimated that 30,000 households across the Alabama Black Belt have inadequate household sewer systems." — Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM)
Read more about issues facing the Black Belt Opens an external link.
