Lake View sewer update: Bill passes House, moves to Senate

Lake View residents are one step closer to the potential end of their sewer-service woes. Last week, the Alabama House passed HB148,  a bill directed squarely at Lake View’s Tannehill Sewer System. If the bill passes, it would put the privately owned system under the purview of the Public Service Commission, meaning the operation’s current one-size-fits-all billing program would be coming to an end.

Currently, those who are forced to use the Tannehill Sewer System are paying more than $100 a month for sewer service alone. In comparison, those who live in Tuscaloosa pay a combined water, sewer and trash bill that comes in well under that and is based on personal usage rates.

Residents said their rates have increased about four times over the past three years, and there’s no way to decrease usage or lower them.

If the PSC manages Tannehill Sewer System, they can regulate rates and ensure residents aren’t paying astronomical amounts for their sewage needs.

Lake View Mayor Adrian Dudley said this is just the first step. There’s still a long road before residents get some relief, if they see any at all.

“Getting it past the House is the first step, but it by no means is the end,” Dudley said. “If the bill goes through and it’s signed by the governor, that just affords the opportunity for people in Lake View to vote on whether or not they want it managed by the PSC.”

The House vote was near unanimous, with 95 voting in favor and two voting absentee. Now, the vote heads to the Senate, and their review begins March 1.

READ MORE:

Lake View residents have had enough with ongoing sewer issues: Feb. 17, 2022