Service + Solidarity Spotlight: UA Members Take Action to Fix Wastewater System in Alabama

Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

An estimated 80% of the homes in Lowndes County, Alabama, do not have access to reliable sewage systems, resulting in wastewater rising to the surface during rainy weather. Due to the lack of infrastructure and funding, many residents in the predominantly Black and underserved community have been forced to live in these unhealthy conditions for more than 25 years.

Members of the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA) in Alabama teamed up with the International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation and others to volunteer in their communities to solve problems and ensure access to proper wastewater systems. The UA members repaired plumbing fixtures and fittings so they work in tandem with new septic systems being installed.