Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, AL water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
tuscaloosa water & sewer
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID AL0001313
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Tuscaloosa is a small but growing city and the 5th-largest in Alabama, home to roughly 98,332 residents. Tuscaloosa's drinking water comes largely from the same regional sources that serve Alabama: Tennessee River, Mobile River basin, and groundwater.
As elsewhere in Alabama, the central challenge is aging infrastructure. Abundant rainfall keeps supply pressure low, but aging systems and industrial contamination drive most water concerns.
Alabama reuses an estimated 6% of its treated wastewater and maintains minimal reuse programs; Tuscaloosa tracks abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale.
Explore the Alabama profile for statewide context, or dig into the water issues shaping Tuscaloosa below.
Tuscaloosa County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~98,332 (5th-largest in Alabama)
- Primary sources: Tennessee River, Mobile River basin, and groundwater
- Drought: abnormally dry to moderate conditions
- State reuse rate: ~6% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Alabama in severe+ drought (Moderate (D1) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Tuscaloosa?
Tuscaloosa's largest water system, TUSCALOOSA WATER & SEWER, serves about 166,524 people. EPA records show 2 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 0 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Tuscaloosa get its water?
TUSCALOOSA WATER & SEWER draws primarily from surface water (rivers/reservoirs), part of Alabama's supply from Tennessee River, Mobile River basin, groundwater.
Related water issues
Aging Infrastructure
Much of America's water infrastructure is decades past its design life, leaking trillions of gallons a year and demanding hundreds of billions in reinvestment.
ExplorePFAS Contamination
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances persist in water supplies for decades. New federal limits are forcing utilities nationwide to invest in advanced treatment.
Explore