Etowah County, Alabama — public water systems
At a glance
17 active public water systems are filed under Etowah County, Alabama in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 124,954 people served. The largest is City of Gadsden, the Wwsb of the, which reports serving 44,637 people. All 17 are community water systems serving people where they live.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.
Active systems
17
Population served
125K
Community systems
17
Groundwater share
64.7%
How does Etowah County compare with other Alabama counties?
Etowah County has the 2nd-most active public water systems among the 77 counties listed for active Alabama systems in EPA records; among the 68 with 3 or more systems, the median has 7. Its systems report 124,954 people served in total, the 16th-largest county figure in the state and 2% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 7,350 people, about 33% below the Alabama average of 11,028. Population figures are what each system reports; people served by more than one system, such as a wholesaler and the town that buys from it, are counted by each.
Where does Etowah County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Etowah County's active systems draw on groundwater (6, 35%), purchased surface water (5, 29%), purchased groundwater (4, 24%) and groundwater under influence of surface water (1, 5.9%). Overall, 65% rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and 35% on surface water, compared with 60% and 40% across Alabama. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. The county's largest system, City of Gadsden, the Wwsb of the, draws primarily on surface water.
What kinds of water systems operate in Etowah County?
Etowah County's active systems break down as 17 community systems (100%). A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. EPA lists their owner types as local government (100%).
Water systems in Etowah County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gadsden, the Wwsb of the City of | Etowah | 44,637 | Community | Surface water |
| 2 | Rainbow City, Wwb of the Town of | Etowah | 12,363 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 3 | Southside Water Works and Sewer Board | Etowah | 12,327 | Community | Groundwater |
| 4 | Attalla Water Works Board | Etowah | 8,403 | Community | Groundwater under influence of surface water |
| 5 | West Etowah Water & Fire Pro Authority | Etowah | 6,900 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 6 | Glencoe Water Works Board | Etowah | 6,465 | Community | Groundwater |
| 7 | Fords Valley & Hwy 278 Water | Etowah | 5,616 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 8 | Hokes Bluff Water Board | Etowah | 5,536 | Community | Groundwater |
| 9 | Sardis City Water Board | Etowah | 5,328 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 10 | Northeast Etowah County Water Co-Op | Etowah | 4,275 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 11 | Highland Water Authority | Etowah | 3,963 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 12 | Whorton Bend Water Authority | Etowah | 2,610 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 13 | Big Wills Water & Fire Pro Authority | Etowah | 2,301 | Community | Groundwater |
| 14 | Walnut Grove, Town of | Etowah | 1,227 | Community | Groundwater |
| 15 | Tillison Bend Water Authority | Etowah | 1,074 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 16 | Altoona Water & Sewer Board | Etowah | 1,068 | Community | Groundwater |
| 17 | Reece City, Town of | Etowah | 861 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
Etowah County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Etowah County, Alabama?
EPA's SDWIS records file 17 active public water systems under Etowah County, Alabama: 17 community systems (100%).
Who supplies drinking water in Etowah County, AL?
The largest community water systems filed under Etowah County are City of Gadsden, the Wwsb of the (44,637 people served), Town of Rainbow City, Wwb of the (12,363 people served) and Southside Water Works and Sewer Board (12,327 people served). Which system serves a particular address depends on its service area, which EPA's SDWIS records do not include; a water bill or the local utility can confirm it.
Does Etowah County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 17 active public water systems in Etowah County, 65% draw mainly on groundwater and 35% on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, City of Gadsden, the Wwsb of the, uses surface water.
Where can I find a water quality report for Etowah County?
Each community water system must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1, covering the previous calendar year. 17 community systems are filed under Etowah County, so the report to look for is the one from the system that supplies your address.
How can I check violations for a water system in Etowah County?
Open the system's profile from the list on this page. Each profile shows the most recent Safe Drinking Water Act violations in EPA's records, with plain-English labels and whether each one is resolved. For current compliance status, EPA ECHO is the primary source.
More Alabama water systems
About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Public water systems in Etowah County, Alabama”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/alabama/etowah (data as of October 1, 2026).