BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — Central Alabama Water is losing revenue on nearly half the water it produces, and utility officials acknowledge decades of deferred maintenance have left the system with deteriorating pipes, thousands of leaks and an infrastructure replacement backlog that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars to address.
The revelations came during Friday’s meeting of the Central Alabama Water (CAW) Board of Directors, the same day the utility approved a 3.4% rate increase for customers beginning Jan. 1, 2027.
Ray Sloan, CAW’s chief reliability officer, told board members the utility has made progress reducing water losses, but the system remains far from where it needs to be…