In rural Alabama, raw sewage spurs investigation into racial inequality
“’It’s not necessary for this to be going on in 2022,’ said Smith, 59. ‘It just shouldn’t be in the United States. It shouldn’t be. This is the wealthiest country. A sewage system should be a right.’
She and others believe it’s racism, blaming the state and local governments for not installing a centralized sewage system. In Lowndes County, which is majority Black, the poverty rate is 22 percent, which is about double the national average. At least 40 percent of homes have inadequate or no sewage systems. As a result, many residents use PVC pipes to carry waste from homes into open holes in the ground, a method known as ‘straight piping.’
The Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation in November to assess whether the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Lowndes County Health Department are operating in a manner that discriminates against Black residents.”