Etowah, AL
Transparent derived index from EPA TRI / SDWIS / Superfund extracts: not an official EPA rating. Fixed caps: facilities ≤25 pts (50+ = max), log10 releases ≤25 pts, Superfund ≤25 pts (5/site), health-violation systems ≤15 pts (3/system), high-chemical facilities ≤10 pts. Bands: High ≥60, Moderate ≥30. See methodology. This is a different measure than the EJ Screening score for this county, which ranks it by percentile against other tracked counties rather than against these fixed caps.
Environmental data for Etowah in Alabama · Population: 103,208
TRI sites such as Koch Foods of Gadsden; Tennessee Aluminum Processors Inc; The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co; SDWIS systems such as RAINBOW CITY, WWB OF THE TOWN OF; SOUTHSIDE WATER WORKS AND SEWER BOARD; ATTALLA WATER WORKS BOARD anchor Etowah, AL's EPA extract. Derived burden score 35/100 (Moderate Risk) uses fixed national caps on density, log release volume, Superfund count, and health-flagged systems - not an official EPA rating.
Health-flagged SDWIS rows in Etowah include WEST ETOWAH WATER & FIRE PRO AUTHORITY; SNEAD WATER WORKS, TOWN OF, while Koch Foods of Gadsden leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. AQS median AQI 47 / peak 93 in 2024.
Burden score 35/100 (Moderate Risk) is the only weighted composite on this page. The tables below list every TRI facility, SDWIS system, and Superfund site EPA has on record for Etowah -- not just the names called out above -- reproducing the disclosure history as filed, not a current-safety verdict. Extract current as of 2026-08-25.
Release-over-release change
What changed for Etowah, AL: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year
Same facilities, both years
-11.1%
8 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023
Whole inventory
-11.1%
1.6 million lb → 1.4 million lb, every facility that filed
Between the two reporting years, 1 facility filed for the first time and 0 stopped filing. Facilities entering or leaving the inventory are excluded from the same-facility comparison above.
- Etowah, AL's total reported releases fell from 1.6 million lb in 2022 to 1.4 million lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Etowah, AL's off-site transfers fell from 52.1 thousand lb in 2022 to 21.2 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Etowah, AL's air releases rose from 28.8 thousand lb in 2022 to 31.7 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Etowah, AL's water releases fell from 1.5 million lb in 2022 to 1.4 million lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
Air Quality History (2020–2024)
EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) data showing how many days per year fall into each air quality category.
| Year | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy (SG) | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 212 (59%) | 150 | 0 | 93 |
| 2023 | 182 (50%) | 183 | 0 | 100 |
| 2022 | 224 (62%) | 135 | 0 | 93 |
| 2021 | 235 (82%) | 51 | 0 | 80 |
| 2020 | 239 (87%) | 37 | 0 | 93 |
Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County AQI categories: Good (0-50), Moderate (51-100), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Unhealthy (151-200), Very Unhealthy (201-300), Hazardous (301+)
For real-time air quality readings and pollutant breakdowns in Alabama, see the EPA's AirNow.gov.
Water Systems (16)
| System | System pop (SDWIS) | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| RAINBOW CITY, WWB OF THE TOWN OF | 12,363 | 0 |
| SOUTHSIDE WATER WORKS AND SEWER BOARD | 12,327 | 0 |
| ATTALLA WATER WORKS BOARD | 8,403 | 0 |
| WEST ETOWAH WATER & FIRE PRO AUTHORITY | 6,900 | 3 |
| GLENCOE WATER WORKS BOARD | 6,465 | 0 |
| SNEAD WATER WORKS, TOWN OF | 6,111 | 1 |
| HOKES BLUFF WATER BOARD | 5,536 | 0 |
| SARDIS CITY WATER BOARD | 5,328 | 0 |
| NORTHEAST ETOWAH COUNTY WATER CO-OP | 4,275 | 0 |
| HIGHLAND WATER AUTHORITY | 3,963 | 0 |
| WHORTON BEND WATER AUTHORITY | 2,610 | 0 |
| BIG WILLS WATER & FIRE PRO AUTHORITY | 2,301 | 0 |
| WALNUT GROVE, TOWN OF | 1,227 | 0 |
| TILLISON BEND WATER AUTHORITY | 1,074 | 0 |
| ALTOONA WATER & SEWER BOARD | 1,068 | 0 |
| REECE CITY, TOWN OF | 861 | 0 |
TRI Facilities (11)
| # | Facility | Total Releases |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Koch Foods of Gadsden | 7.0M lbs |
| 2 | Tennessee Aluminum Processors Inc | 249.4K lbs |
| 3 | The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co | 73.3K lbs |
| 4 | Keystone Foods LLC - Alabama Div | 72.9K lbs |
| 5 | Fehrer Automotive N.a. LLC | 19.1K lbs |
| 6 | Giant Resource Recovery-Attalla Inc. | 827 lbs |
| 7 | Stamped Products Inc | 99 lbs |
| 8 | Inteva Products | 11 lbs |
| 9 | Heidelberg Materials Southeast Agg LLC - Rainbow City Plant | 3 lbs |
| 10 | Tyson Farms Inc Ivalee Feed Mill | 0 lbs |
| 11 | Koch Farms of Gadsden LLC | 0 lbs |
Cities in Etowah (9)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the environmental risk level in Etowah, Alabama? ▼
Are there Superfund sites in Etowah? ▼
How many toxic release facilities are in Etowah? ▼
What is the air quality in Etowah? ▼
Is the drinking water safe in Etowah? ▼
What environmental agencies cover Etowah? ▼
What does this county environmental profile show?
This county environmental profile rolls up EPA Toxics Release Inventory facility reports, Safe Drinking Water Information System public-water-system filings, and Superfund National Priorities List sites for the county boundary defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Facility counts reflect facilities with a reporting address inside the county, not where downstream environmental effects may be observed. Population figures are from the most recent Census ACS 5-year estimate. The county detail page is updated whenever the upstream EPA programs publish revised data; see the methodology page for the documented ingest cadence and the editorial choices governing how aggregations are computed.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.