Scottsboro Water Works
EPA ID: AL0000729 · 22,200 people served · 10 ZIP codes
Unlike fully compliant utilities, Scottsboro Water Works has 8 outstanding EPA violations for approximately 22,200 residents.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Compliance Trajectory
Worsening · Risk tier: High · 95% chance of violation in next 12 months
Violations went from 10 (2024) to 6 (2025). The pattern suggests growing compliance challenges.
Service Area Map
Coverage area for Scottsboro Water Works Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary — Grade D
Service Area Demographics
The Scottsboro Water Works serves a community with a median household income of $55,235 and an estimated 35,518 residents across its service area. Approximately 55% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
Environmental Justice Note: 98% of the population in this service area is classified as disadvantaged under EPA's EJScreen criteria. Communities with higher disadvantaged populations often face disproportionate environmental and health burdens, including aging water infrastructure and limited resources for remediation.
🌊 Where Does Your Water Come From?
Scottsboro Water Works's water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap.
About 1% of homes in Jackson County, Alabama rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.
Infrastructure Risk
Detected Contaminants
How Scottsboro Water Works compares to EPA limits
What This Means For You
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) at 5 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of 0.06 mg/L. Cancer risk; reproductive & developmental effects. Consider granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration.
Stage 2 DBP Rule at 2 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
Lead and Copper Rule at 2 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
Stage 1 DBP Rule at 1 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
PFAS Detected in Service Area
PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been detected in water serving this system's area. 19 detections recorded. 1 exceeds federal EPA limits (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS). 1 exceeds state limits.
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) was detected in this water system. granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration can reduce exposure.
Find a certified water filter →Comparable Water Systems
Similar-sized systems in Alabama
Estimated Remediation Costs
Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system
Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.
System Overview
SCOTTSBORO WATER WORKS (EPA ID: AL0000729) is a community water system in Alabama that serves approximately 22,200 people from surface water sources.
This system provides water to 10 ZIP codes across 9 communities.
Average Home Safety Score: D (47/100)
Based on water quality violations, lead levels, and radon risk across all ZIP codes served by this system.
Violation History
Recent Violations
| Date | Contaminant | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 1, 2025 | Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Health-based | Unresolved |
| March 5, 2025 | Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Monitoring | Resolved |
| January 1, 2025 | Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Health-based | Unresolved |
| December 7, 2024 | Lead and Copper Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| October 21, 2024 | Lead and Copper Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| October 17, 2024 | Stage 2 DBP Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| October 17, 2024 | Stage 2 DBP Rule | Health-based | Unresolved |
| October 1, 2024 | Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Health-based | Unresolved |
| July 1, 2024 | Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Health-based | Unresolved |
Contaminants Detected
The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | Health-Based |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 5 | Yes |
| Stage 2 DBP Rule | Treatment Failure | 2 | Yes |
| Lead and Copper Rule | Treatment Failure | 2 | No |
| Stage 1 DBP Rule | Treatment Failure | 1 | No |
Health Risk Details
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) (EPA limit: 0.06 mg/L)
Cancer risk; reproductive & developmental effects At-risk groups: pregnant women, infants, long-term consumers of chlorinated municipal water.
Removal methods: granular activated carbon (GAC), carbon block filter, reverse osmosis. Find the right filter →
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data for ZIP codes served by this system:
Radon Risk in Service Area
Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 1 (High Risk)
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Need help with your water quality?
Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400
Find the Right Water FilterFree tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.
ZIP Codes Served
Coverage: 5 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 5 additional ZIPs inferred from SDWIS registry data. The EPA-confirmed set is the most reliable; SDWIS-inferred entries may be narrower than the real deployment area.
- 35745 — Estillfork
- 35751 — Hollytree
- 35752 — Hollywood
- 35765 — Pisgah
- 35766 — Princeton
- 35768 — Scottsboro
- 35769 — Scottsboro
- 35771 — Section
- 35774 — Trenton
- 35776 — Woodville
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Scottsboro Water Works (AL0000729) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Scottsboro Water Works water safe to drink?
Scottsboro Water Works has recorded 5 health-based violations in the past 5 years. While the system is required to treat water to meet federal standards, you may want to consider additional precautions such as a certified water filter.
How many people does Scottsboro Water Works serve?
Scottsboro Water Works serves approximately 22,200 people across 10 ZIP codes in Alabama.
Where does Scottsboro Water Works get its water?
The primary water source is surface water.
Contact Your Water Utility
Public-record contact information for the water utility serving this system. Use these channels to request water quality reports, ask about service, or report issues directly.
Contact information from Scottsboro Waterworks, Sewer and Gas Board Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility, does not act as its agent, and does not provide customer support for it. Contact details shown are public-record information from CCR filings. For service issues, contact the utility directly using the information above.
Water Source & Treatment
Where this water originates and how it's treated before reaching your tap.
Source: Scottsboro Waterworks, Sewer and Gas Board Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.
A source water assessment has been completed for our area to provide baseline data about quality of water before it is treated and distributed to our customers.
Treatment regime
How this utility classifies its treatment process and what each reported treatment chemical does.
Treatment chemicals and what each one does
Chemical names are reported verbatim by the utility. Purpose categories are ZipCheckup annotations based on standard drinking-water treatment practice.
Watershed exposure sources reported
Land-use and natural conditions identified in the utility's source-water assessment as potential contamination sources upstream of treatment.
Treatment classification and chemical list sourced from Scottsboro Waterworks, Sewer and Gas Board Consumer Confidence Report.
Treatment intensity is a ZipCheckup-derived classification based on the chemicals and processes the utility reports. Chemicals and contamination sources are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR filing. Routine federal monitoring and contaminant testing shown elsewhere on this page determine whether the water meets safety standards, not the treatment classification.
Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Detected
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). PFAS compounds were detected below the current state-enforceable MCL.
Current MCL reflects the lowest state-enforceable limit (NYS 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS, effective August 2020). The federal final MCL of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (EPA April 2024 rule) is not enforceable until April 2029. Detections above 4 ppt but below 10 ppt are below current MCL but above the future federal limit.
Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →
PFAS Substances Detected in This System
This water system's Consumer Confidence Report disclosed the following PFAS compounds. Levels are from the utility's most recent reporting cycle.
In April 2024, EPA finalized the first National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for six PFAS. Public water systems have until 2029 to comply. EPA — PFAS regulation overview →
Source: Consumer Confidence Report disclosed by Scottsboro Waterworks, Sewer and Gas Board.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. PFAS detection data is sourced from public Consumer Confidence Reports filed by the utility itself.
Lead Service Line Inventory
Service line breakdown reported under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) inventory requirement:
This system reports zero confirmed lead service lines in its inventory. Unknown-material counts may still warrant verification.
Federal LCRI rule (effective October 2024) requires every public water system to inventory its service lines and complete lead-line replacement within 10 years.
Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Service Line Inventory (Phase 2) · Submitted 2026
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with the utility or state agency. Inventory figures render verbatim from the public LCRI submission cited above; ZipCheckup does not perform inspections or replacements.
Aesthetic water quality
These measurements describe the look, taste, and feel of the water this utility delivers. They are not contaminant violations — they sit alongside federal Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCLs) which the EPA publishes as non-enforceable guidance.
Aesthetic measurements from Scottsboro Waterworks, Sewer and Gas Board Consumer Confidence Report.
Aesthetic measurements are reported by the utility from its annual sampling. EPA Secondary MCLs are advisory thresholds — values outside them indicate aesthetic concerns such as taste or appearance, not health violations. Federal contaminant testing is shown in the sections above.
Frequently Asked Questions
What You Can Do
Test your water
Home test kits can detect lead, bacteria, and other contaminants at your tap. Find the right filter →
Check your specific ZIP code
Water quality can vary within a system. View nearest ZIP report →
Contact your utility
Scottsboro Water Works (EPA ID: AL0000729) — request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.