Lake View Private Sewer Amendment Passes In Big Win For Small City

LAKE VIEW, AL — In a historic win for accountability in the City of Lake View, voters in Alabama overwhelmingly passed a statewide amendment Tuesday that will finally bring the city's controversial private sewer system under the regulatory oversight of the Alabama Public Service Commission.

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The measure will go into effect Jan. 1, 2023 and will sunset on Dec. 31, 2027, unless otherwise acted upon by the state legislature.

As Patch has previously reported, the Tannehill Sewer System has been the sewer provider of record for the City of Lake View, in some form or other, since just after the city's incorporation in 1998. The private firm has a dead website, a shell office in Leeds and a non-existent customer support system.

Lake View Mayor Adrain Dudley told Patch that the vote on the amendment was an important moment, but just marks the start of future work that will need to be done with the Public Service Commission.

"It's done and a lot of people thought that it wouldn't happen or there would be efforts to prevent it," Dudley said Wednesday morning. "First the PSC has to collect some data from them to identify where they are and use their metrics to find out what the company has, what it doesn't have and what they need to do and understanding that's going to be a process. I want to make sure we work with them, so I plan to go down there and make direct contact so they see me and us try to work through what all those things are. What they need for billing, for rates, customer service, things like that."

Tannehill Sewer is owned by Mike White, who was recently ordered by a judge to pay $4.7 million in damages to three families who saw their collective sewer bills total more than $500,000. The judgement has been stalled by appeals and White has had little to say amid the push by residents to hold his company accountable.

White has not responded to requests for comment from Patch.

Residents in the past have reported paying more than $120 a month just for sewer service, which doesn't factor in usage or include water service. As we have extensively reported, the fees have steadily climbed over the years, and with increasing frequency as of late.

This prompted residents and city officials alike to once again take up the cause of fighting for oversight of the sewer system, with a bill sponsored by State Rep. Rich Wingo ultimately making it to the governor's desk and onto the state ballot.

As Patch previously reported, the city's first mayor Fred Pugh and the City Council not only agreed to grant exclusive sewer rights to White and SERMA, but also drastically limited the city's own ability to make capital expenditures to expand the sewer system. As it stands, Lake View and its Governmental Utility Services Corporation (GUSC) are barred from performing any work on the system that exceeds $1,000.

Wingo, a Tuscaloosa Republican who did not seek re-election this year, told Patch Wednesday morning that the fight has been a long one, with previous incarnations of the bill failing over the last decade due to staunch opposition in the statehouse from State Sen. Gerald Allen, a Republican from Tuscaloosa whose district includes Lake View.

"This was the first time we ever got it to the people to vote because of the opposition from Gerald Allen," Wingo said. "Allen has been against the people of Lake View for 20 years and the people have suffered in Lake View with the highest sewer rates in the state of Alabama. At the same time, their senator has been in favor of that but I'm so thankful it was approved and glad the people finally got a chance to speak."

Indeed, Lake View officials and residents have pointed to a wide range of multifaceted impacts due to the astronomical sewer bills imposed by Tannehill Sewer. These include stunted business development in the area, as business owners opt against setting up shop in Lake View, in addition to slow residential growth.

Coupled with high residential sewer prices for those who can't afford a septic tank, the problems became more than many citizens were willing to bear.

Lake View Councilman Doug Beaulieu told Patch that the decision to put Tannehill Sewer System under the oversight of the Public Service Commission has been a long time coming.

"Words cannot adequately express my gratitude to all who have worked tirelessly to get us to this point," he said. "Lake View’s future just got a little brighter."

Check out our past coverage:

• A Sewer Lord's Tale: Lake View Residents Battle For Oversight
• Lake View United Against Private Sewer Owner's Business Practices
• Lake View Passes Resolution Supporting Sewer Oversight Bill
• Lake View Sewer Bill Passes House, Heads To Senate
• Lake View Sewer Amendment Clears Senate Committee

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