OWENS CROSS ROADS – City, state and federal officials broke ground today for the construction of
a new wastewater treatment plant in Owens Cross Roads that will replace the city’s old, outdated and
overwhelmed treatment plant.
The project is funded by a grant and loan from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management
totaling more than $10 million. The new treatment plant will enable the city to not only meet the needs
of its 2,631 residents but also accommodate new customers in the fast-growing suburb south of
Huntsville.
Among those joining ADEM and Owens Cross Roads city officials at the groundbreaking were state Rep.
Ritchie Whorton, state Sen. Wes Kitchens, Madison County Commissioner Craig Hill, and representatives
for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 and U.S. Rep. Dale Strong’s district office.
“For the past decade, the city of Owens Cross Roads has faced significant challenges with our
wastewater system,” Mayor Tony Craig said. “Despite implementing various projects to reduce
infiltration and inflow in the collection system and upgrading the existing plant, we have been unable to
meet the increasing demands of our growing community.”
City officials say the 40-year-old sewer system has been plagued by the infiltration and inflow of
stormwater into its sewer lines and lacks the capacity to treat the wastewater from its current residents
and businesses. Out of necessity, about 60 percent of the city’s sewage volume is pumped into
Huntsville’s sewer system.
“As our population has expanded rapidly, the limitations of our wastewater treatment capacity have
become increasingly apparent,” Craig said. “To address this issue, we made the difficult decision to send
a portion of our wastewater to a neighboring community for treatment in 2019. However, this
temporary solution is no longer sustainable, as our partner is unable to continue supporting our
wastewater load.”
Huntsville, facing increased sewer demand because of its own continued growth, will need to terminate
its arrangement with Owens Cross Roads in the future.
ADEM is funding the Owens Cross Roads project with a $7.3 million grant from Alabama’s American
Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and $3 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The ARPA
funding was allocated to ADEM by the Alabama Legislature in 2022 and 2023.
“Sewer and drinking water systems throughout Alabama are having to deal with decades-old
infrastructure needs because of aging treatment plants, pumping stations, water tanks and sewer and
water lines,” ADEM Director Lance LeFleur said. “With the help and vision of Gov. Kay Ivey and the
Legislature, we have been able to approve more than $1.1 billion over the past two years in ARPA, BIL
and SRF (State Revolving Fund) funding to assist those systems with the most dire needs. But with nearly
$3.5 billion in needs that we have identified, we still have a long way to go.”
Rep. Whorton, R-0wens Cross Roads, expressed his support and enthusiasm for the project.
“The new wastewater treatment plant is a vital investment in Owens Cross Roads’ infrastructure,” he
said. “It will not only address immediate capacity challenges but also provide the necessary foundation
for sustainable growth and future development. I am grateful for the collaboration and funding that
made this project possible, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on our
community.”
Owens Cross Roads’ new wastewater treatment plant is being built next to the city’s old treatment plant
on Sneed Avenue.
For more information about sewer and drinking water projects ADEM is funding, go to ARPA/SRF
Updates on ADEM’s website.
Media Release/ADEM
