FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Marion Water Crisis Enters Fourth Day as Residents Remain Without Service
MARION, Ala. Marion has been without clean, running water since Nov. 20 after a major system failure cut service to most residents. The outage has entered its fourth day and has forced businesses to close, churches to cancel services, and left medically vulnerable residents, including seniors, nursing homes and dialysis patients, at significant risk.
State Sen. Robert Stewart, who represents District 23, called the situation a crisis and said it reflects decades of underinvestment in rural infrastructure across Alabama’s Black Belt.
“This could happen anywhere in the Black Belt,” Stewart said. “Rural communities with aging and neglected water systems are one malfunction away from disaster. We need urgent relief today, and we need long-term, sustainable investment.”
Widespread Impact
Most Marion residents remain without water. The outage has disrupted daily life across the city and Perry County during a busy holiday week. Two nursing homes and a dialysis center are operating under strained conditions, and many families are struggling to meet basic needs.
Emergency Response
Several agencies and organizations have mobilized in response:
- The Alabama Emergency Management Agency has deployed bottled water and helped with distribution.
- The Alabama Department of Environmental Management is working to identify and repair the system failure.
- The Alabama Department of Public Health is monitoring health and safety concerns.
- Local leaders, including the mayor, county commission and city council, are coordinating response efforts.
- Sowing Seeds of Hope, a local nonprofit, is serving as a primary water distribution site.
Stewart thanked agencies and volunteers for their support and said their response shows the power of community.
How to Help
Officials say the community urgently needs bottled water and volunteers.
Water donation site:
Sowing Seeds of Hope
1728 South Washington St.
Marion, AL 36756
Phone: 334-683-4666
To volunteer:
Contact the Perry County Emergency Management Agency at 334-683-2236 or reach out to Sowing Seeds of Hope. The Perry County Health Department is also providing support to elderly and disabled residents at 334-247-5344.
Long-Term Concerns
Stewart said the crisis highlights shrinking populations, limited resources and aging systems that strain rural towns.
“Cities like Marion do not have the money or workforce to maintain aging infrastructure,” he said. “When people leave, the money leaves, and when the money leaves, more people leave. It becomes a cycle.”
He said clean water is a basic human right and called for stronger state and federal investment in rural communities.
Message to Residents
As the outage continues into Thanksgiving week, Stewart offered a message of solidarity.
“I am with you all the way,” he said. “We will get through this together. I am committed to making sure the water is restored safely and quickly, and to fighting for long-term solutions.”
Media Contact
For further comments, Sen. Robert Stewart can be reached at 334-505-9753.
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Alabama Values is a grassroots communications organization working to raise awareness and increase engagement around community issues in Alabama. They work directly with grassroots civic organizations advocating to build power and break down barriers to civic participation for communities across the state.