Past Events & Meetings

Water Utility COVID-19 Financial Impact Tool 

Restoring Water Quality in Buildings for Reopening 

Maintaining or Restoring Water Quality in Buildings With Low or No Use 

FEMA Fact Sheet on PPE for Non-Healthcare Settings 

OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 

CDC Guidance for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to COVID-19 

CDC Do's and Dont's for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who Have Been Exposed to COVID-19 

Incident Action Checklist - Pandemic Incidents 

Essential Water/Wastewater Worker Letter Template

For information on COVID-19 in Alabama, please visit the Alabama Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 website. 

Water Utility Resources for the COVID-19 Pandemic 

CISA Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce: Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19 Response (Version 3.0) 

The Association of State Drinking Water Administrators also have a resource page related to COVID-19 from a drinking water perspective. 

The CDC has a webpage explaining what citizens should do in the event of a boil water advisory. 

Please ensure your water system has taken the necessary precautions and is prepared to ensure continuity of service in the event of quarantines or illness of key personnel. Should there be any impacts to service as a result of COVID-19 or other emergency, please contact the Drinking Water Branch at (334) 271-7773 and your county Emergency Management Agency (EMA) or if necessary the Alabama EMA. 


 

For Groundwater Festival Calendars and information on Individual County Festivals go to https://alabamasoilandwater.gov/waterfestival/. 

Guidance Manuals

• Water Festivals in Alabama: A Guidance Manual Volume I
• Water Festivals in Alabama: A Guidance Manual Volume II & Reference Materials

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management’s (ADEM’s) Operator Certification (OpCert) Program is offering funding assistance to Groundwater Festival Programs. Applications are accepted continuously. Applicants will be notified of the award and will be require to sign a notification of grant award prior to the start date of the Groundwater Festival.

Funds are available as small grants of up to $2,500 to eligible entities. (Nonprofit organizations are not eligible for this grant.)

This grant will subsidize the expenses incurred in implementing one Groundwater Festival for elementary and middle school students. These expenses include educational materials, T-shirts, and bus transportation. Educational materials may include such items as supplies for building aquifers, wetlands, watersheds, filtration systems, and for demonstrating the water cycle.

Payments is made as reimbursement. Please submit to ADEM’s OpCert program a paid Invoice for eligible expenses by September 30, the end of ADEM’s Fiscal Year.

The organization, authorized representative, and Tax ID must be consistent with information in STAARS.

To apply for the grant, please fill out the Groundwater Festival Grant Application and return to waterfestival@adem.alabama.gov. 
 

If you have any questions about ADEM’s grants to Alabama Groundwater Festivals, contact ADEM’s Operator Certification Program at:

(334) 271-7796
(334) 271-7796 fax
waterfestival@adem.alabama.gov
 

Our public-records policy

It is the policy of the executive branch of the State of Alabama to promptly provide citizens with public records upon request, subject to their payment of reasonable fees, to applicable laws protecting sensitive information, and to the interest of the general public in having the business of government carried on efficiently and without undue interference.

 

Submitting a public-records request

To search for a document online please click on the following link to use eFile. 

If you would like to review available public records, your request must be made in writing and should be submitted to the ADEM Public Records Officer. Please submit your request well in advance of the time that you need to review the records because the documents you request may not be immediately available. 

The Public Records Officer will contact you to schedule your appointment. Request should be submitted via e-mail at records@adem.alabama.gov, fax to 334-271-7950, or mailed to ADEM Public Records Officer, P.O. Box 301463, Montgomery, AL 36130-1463.

 

What to expect

We strive to respond as promptly as possible to all public-records requests we receive consistent with the demands of our agency’s functions as determined by state law.

The nature of your request will dictate how promptly we respond. If your request very clearly identifies a specific, discrete document you are looking for, we will respond more quickly than if your request requires substantial staff time to process. A request will require substantial staff time to process if it requires difficulty in identifying and retrieving documents or taking measures to redact or otherwise withhold legally protected information.

In addition, we are permitted by state law to charge reasonable fees in connection with processing public-records requests. We will notify you in advance of the fees you likely will incur as a result of your request.

 

Questions?

You may contact our agency's public-records coordinator at records@adem.alabama.gov.

Projects having the potential to impact Alabama's coastal resources are subject to review pursuant to ADEM's Coastal Rules. Fee Schedules can be located under Regulations / Division 1 Section 6. Some of these projects include:

• Construction on Gulf-fronting properties
• Commercial and Residential Development on Properties Greater than 5 Acres
• Projects Impacting Wetlands and/or Water Bottoms
• Construction of new, or expansion of existing marinas
• Installation of Groundwater Wells with a Capacity Greater than 50 gallons per minute (GPM)
• Siting, Construction and Operation of Energy Facilities
• Shoreline Stabilization Projects
• Discharges to Coastal Waters

Construction on Gulf-fronting Properties

ADEM Division 8 Coastal Programs rules require that an ADEM permit or other authorization be obtained prior to constructing any new structure or substantially improving any existing structure, on a property intersected by or seaward of the ADEM construction control line.

This includes habitable structures( single family dwellings, duplexes, motels, hotels and condominiums), non-habitable structures (gazebos, dune walkovers, etc.) and hardened erosion control structures.

A permit application can be obtained from ADEM's Mobile Coastal Office or an application may be downloaded by selecting the link below:

• Application for Single Family Dwellings, Duplexes and Similar Structures
• Application for Multi-unit Residential and Commercial Developments

The Cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, the Town of Dauphin Island, and the Baldwin county Commission are delegated to implement the permitting, monitoring and enforcement section of the ADEM Division 8 Coastal Program rule related to construction on Gulf-fronting beaches and dunes. Persons wishing to conduct such activities should contact the local building department with jurisdiction for the area of proposed contruction. 

 

Balancing impacts from development and environmental concerns is a major effort of the Alabama Coastal Area Management Program.

Commercial and Residential Developments Greater than 5 Acres in Size

ADEM Division 8 Coastal Program rules require that a permit be obtained for all new commercial and residential developments located wholly or partially within the coastal area which are or will be greater than five (5) acres in size and which:

• have areas which are or could be delineated as wetlands; or
• are adjacent to coastal waters; or
• are intercepted by the coastal control line.

Permit applications can be obtained from the Coastal Section Office by calling (251) 432-6533 or you can download the form Permit Application for Developments and Subdivisions of Property Greater than 5 Acres in Size. 

 

Projects Impacting Waterbottoms or Wetlands

Projects which include potential impacts to waterbottoms or the dredging and/or filling of wetlands will require permits and/or certifications from ADEM, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers(USACE), and, in some instances, the State Oil and Gas Board.

The ADEM review of these types of projects is normally initiated when the property owner makes application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Some of these projects, such as the construction of residential piers and projects involving minimal wetlands impacts, may be permitted under a pre-certified USACE General or Nationwide Permit and will not require further review by the Department.

Many projects will require an Individual Permit from the USACE, which will be jointly reviewed by the USACE and ADEM concurrently. This includes:

• Marinas, including the expansion of existing marinas
• Shoreline stabilization such as seawalls, bulkheads, jetties, groins and similar structures
• Beach nourishment projects
• Major dredging projects
• Projects involving more than minimal impacts to wetlands
• Placement of oil and gas platforms over waterbottoms

ADEM cooperated with the City of Gulf Shores, ALDCNR-State Lands Division and the Corps of Engineers to approve the Gulf Shores Beach Nourishment project, which was completed in Spring 2001.

Groundwater Wells with a Capacity Greater than 50 GPM

The installation of a new well, or alteration of an existing well, for the purposes of extracting groundwater at a rate of 50 gallons per minute or greater requires a permit from the Department.

This provision is applicable to a well whose surface location is in the coastal area and one whose surface location is not in the coastal area but whose 50 year capture zone extends into the coastal area.

Permit application can be obtained from ADEM's Coastal Section or download the form Permit Application for Groundwater Wells with a Capacity Greater than 50 PGM.

 

Groundwater wells are a vital source of drinking water in the Coastal Area.

Siting, Construction and Operation of Energy Facilities

All new energy facilities located wholly or partially within the coastal area, including those located in federal waters off of Alabama, and which require a federal license or permit or a state agency permit, must also receive coastal consistency from the Department.

ADEM rules prohibit the discharge of produced waters, drill muds and/or cuttings, and/or other discharges resulting from energy exploration or production activities, to the coastal waters of Alabama.

In an average year, ADEM reviews 40 coastal consistency requests for natural gas and oil exploration and productions activities in the federal waters off Alabama's Gulf coast.

 

A natural gas production platform and drilling rig at the mouth of Mobile Bay off Dauphin Island

Discharges to Coastal Waters

ADEM Coastal Program rules require that certain types of NPDES wastewater discharges to the coastal waters of Alabama perform specific types of environmental monitoring. This monitoring is to occur within the immediate vicinity of the discharge, commonly referred to as "discharge information zone", and includes sampling of water, sediment and benthic macro-invertebrates. The specific requirements can be found in Administrative Code R 335-8-2-.12 and recommendations for preparing and implementing a DIZ monitoring program are included in the Water Division Permitting Guidance section. 

 

ADEM administers a number of programs related to the State's surface water quality. These programs include:

Water Quality Standards - include both the designated uses of surface waters and the criteria intended to protect those uses. Designated uses are listed in ADEM regulations at 335-6-11 and the criteria are found in 335-6-10.

• EPA's Water Quality Standards Program
• Waterbody Segments with Special Designations
• Waterbody Segments Classified as Outstanding Alabama Waters
• Waterbody Segments Classified as Public Water Supply
• Category 4 Water Bodies
• Category 5 Water Bodies
• 2024 Triennial Review Response to Comments

Water Quality Report to Congress (305(b) Report) - biennial report submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency as part of the national water quality assessment required by the Clean Water Act. This report provides a summary of activities related to surface water quality and an assessment of surface water quality conditions in Alabama.

• 2024
• 2022
• 2020
• 2018
• 2016
• 2014
• 2012
• 2010
• 2008
• 2006
• 2004
• 2002
• 2000
• 1998

List of Impaired Waters (303(d) List - list of waterbodies in Alabama that do not fully support their designated uses based on a review of water quality data and information. The list is submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency for approval after an opportunity for public comment. The list includes the causes and sources of water quality impairment for each waterbody listed and a schedule for development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for each pollutant causing impairment.

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Development - for waterbodies included on the 303(d) list the State must determine the amount of each pollutant causing water quality impairment that can be allowed such that the water quality standards for the waterbody are maintained. The TMDLs are developed according to a specified schedule and must be approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency after an opportunity for public comment.

Waste Load Allocation Development - waste load allocations are developed for proposed and existing dischargers to surface waters in support of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits that are protective of water quality standards.

ADEM & EPA Wasteload Allocation Agreement

Water Quality Planning - Section 303(e) of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) requires that each State establish and maintain a continuing planning process (CPP) consistent with the CWA and pertaining to all navigable waters of the State. The State is responsible for managing its water quality program to implement the processes specified in the CPP. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for periodically reviewing the adequacy of the State's CPP. Alabama's CPP is an umbrella document that provides the framework to coordinate and unify the activities and procedures necessary for maintaining waters of an acceptable quality throughout the State, in a manner consistent with the Alabama Water Pollution Control Act and the federal Clean Water Act.

Continuing Planning Process

Surface Water Quality Monitoring Strategy

Annual Surface Water Quality Monitoring Plan (SWQMP) 

View ADEM Data at: How's My Waterway - Home (epa.gov)

Water Quality Data Portal (NWQMC)

Water Quality Reports 

Water Quality Modeling Information

• Water Quality Modeling User Guide
• Spreadsheet Water Quality Model (SWQM)

Mixing Zone Modeling Information

• Mixing Zone Flowchart
• Mixing Zone Guidance
• Mixing Zone Spreadsheet Calculator
• Required Mixing Zone Information
• Mixing Zone Lake Schematic
• Mixing Zone River Schematic
• Coastal GIS Files
• Lakes/Reservoirs GIS Files

Contact Information

ADEM Water Quality Monitoring
Attn: Field Operations Division
Post Office Box 301463
Montgomery, Alabama 36130-1463
(334) 260-2700
(334) 394-4326 Fax