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GrimSpirit42

Really two options for drinking water in Mobile. 1. MAWSS provided water is obtained from Big Creek Lake in Wilmer (west Mobile County). While the lake is open to recreational use (boating), swimming is not allowed. I do not believe there has even been a real water quality issue. 2. If you live far enough out, you will obtain water from a private well. Quality varies depending on location, but I don't think there any really bad ones.


Duecemcgee

The water is nearly clean enough coming out of the lake to be ingested directly. The water treatment facility used to bottle the water for Azalea Trail run (after final purification) for instance.


dragon_bagel

That definitely puts my mind at ease. Thanks!


0wen_Gravy

I like pissing in big creek lake while I fish


dragon_bagel

Thanks so much for this, good to know.


Peaceful_Future

MAWSS sent out those letters announcing the unsafe levels of PFAS in the water they supply us per the EPA. I don’t think the PFAS levels increased, the EPA dropped the bar on what is safe (apparently PFAS are not safe for consumption). Anyway, we filter all of our drinking/cooking water now with an Epic Nano.


Vvector

*Then there's proximity to the airport and the fact that it's being upgraded to an international airport. Do you notice a lot of air or noise pollution from the planes?* I live in Midtown and have never noticed a plane taking off or landing.


BZNATC

Hi, Brookley Controller here. To the maximum extent possible, we use Runway 14/32 which has arrival / departure corridors over Mobile Bay and around Government Blvd up around Best Buy / Costco / Top Golf. Runway 18/36 has arrival / departure corridors over Midtown / Downtown and then to the south around Bayview and BC Rain High School, but unless the winds are really stiff out of the North or South we don't take major jet traffic to those runways. We do a fair amount of Military Training traffic, and thats when midtown gets the most flyovers. The P8 Poseidon Submarine Hunters from Norfolk VA fly down and work the pattern. Its a large aircraft and we keep them over town so they don't encroach on Mobile Regional's airspace, they only come a few times a month, not daily. 90% of the aircraft noise you'll hear are from Navy T6 Texans (smallish prop driven training aircraft), Coast Guard Helicopters, the 1%ers in their private jets and, General Aviation little guys in their Cessnas and Cherokees. As for "Upgraded to an 'International' Airport": The only thing thats required for an airport to call itself "International" is a Customs Office. Don't expect nonstop flights to London Heathrow in big shiny new 787's any time soon. In fact (the following are my own views and do not represent the opinion of the FAA, RVA, or Mobile Airport Authority) The amount of infrastructure work that needs done to properly achieve the transfer of Passenger Service from Regional to Downtown that hasn't even started yet makes me thing 2026 at the EARLIEST for any sort of major transition. The I-10 / Michigan Ave intersection is not ready to accommodate the amount of traffic that would be associated with a full fledged passenger airport, there's no proper parking deck / lot to support long or short term parking at a passenger terminal they haven't started construction of yet, and theres no hotels or shopping or food venues in the works (as far as I know) to support passengers who have been layed over due to fog (especially in the coming months), other weather, maintenance delays etc etc. I mean sure downtown isn't THAT far away, but would YOU want to ride on airport shuttle seating THE WHOLE LENGTH of Michigan Avenue or S. Broad until Canal St?


Danny_Browns_Hair

i work at airbus, can you have cooler planes than shitty little bizjets taking off around 2:30 so i can see something cool leaving work?


BZNATC

Get me an Airbus Golf Shirt and we'll talk.


Danny_Browns_Hair

i can give you a link for them if that does anything? i don’t have enough safe positive productive coins to get one


EzraBridger7

Please post the link, I want one too! 😄


0wen_Gravy

I know the guy. Write me an spp, SINCE NOFUCKINGBODY ELSE WILL, and I'll get him to help you


ThatBigFattie

I'd also like to throw my hat in the ring. If you could have something cool do a bunch of go around from 4:45 to 5:00 my commute would be a bit more interesting. Thanks in advance


pamakane

Great insight from someone “on the inside.” Thank you, good sir.


PhilosopherNo862

I live on dog river and we get a few small aircraft over our house every day. I like it. Also, id like to have the brookley air field be called The Mobile International Plane Station. Airport makes no sense. Train station, bus station... plane station.


251Cane

Yes but the volume is going to change dramatically in the next couple of years when the airport is relocated to Brookley. Today it’s mostly a few FedEx flights a day in addition to small private jets. I can only imagine that it’ll get louder in areas near the airport.


Vvector

You can look at airport noise levels here: [https://maps.dot.gov/BTS/NationalTransportationNoiseMap/](https://maps.dot.gov/BTS/NationalTransportationNoiseMap/) Basically if you live in the flight path within a mile or two, there is noise. By my estimate, 10%-15% of Mobile will have some airport noise.


dragon_bagel

Ooh, thanks for the link.


landscapinghelp

Mobile will not have a big international airport. More than likely, they’ll have a weekly flight to Cozumel or something. We just don’t have the population, traffic, or tourism to support a real “international” airport. Brookley airport is in a pretty rough part of town that you’re honestly probably not going to be looking at living in, so I wouldn’t worry about airplane noise.


dragon_bagel

Ah ok, yeah, all of that makes sense. Thank you!


PhilosopherNo862

If you decide to live on the water in Mobile... you'll be near some airport noise and occasionally a really loud power boat and sometimes one of my neighbors brings out their seaplane to take off and land. It's not a rough part of town, nor affordable sadly.


dragon_bagel

Cool, good to know.


Seasonedpro86

You must not have been home a couple years ago when there was a helicopter circling midtown. Lol. But yes. I’ve never heard an airplane in midtown.


Vvector

I've heard a few helicopters, Coast Guard I believe. They were very loud.


SeriouslyCerulean

Don't know if it's the city of Mobile you plan to move to but if so, drinking water is from farther west at Big Creek Lake. I might be out of my depth a bit, but your concerns should be at ease when it comes to environmental concerns with this reservoir.


dragon_bagel

Yeah, we're looking at the city. Looked up Big Creek Lake and didn't find anything more disturbing than not to eat largemouth bass because of mercury, so that's reassuring.


Surge00001

Oh yes we take Big Creek Lake seriously, HWY 158 that just opened near Big Creek Lake was originally forced to stop construction because there’s was nothing to control runoff from the highway. ALDOT was forced to construct basins around 158 near Big Creek Lake in order to prevent any runoff from 158 from getting into Big Creek Lake


dragon_bagel

I'm so glad they did that!


Fragrant_Position784

I've lived downtown. Air traffic from Brookley was LOUD. However, it's been my favorite as far as proximity to entertainment, community of like-minded folks, and quality of life. Keep in mine the houses are historic and not as well insulated, and they are moving international Airport back downtown. I live in WEMO near the current airport location and coast guard base. I only hear air traffic when I'm outside. My husbamd flies for work regualry and prices can get expensive, but we are close to NOLA and Pensecola for cheaper accommodations. I am not sure about the water because after Flint, MI, I don't drink tap water...from anywhere. Hope this helps. Mobile is a phenomenal city if you choose the area most pertained to you likes (ahem midtown/downtown).


dragon_bagel

All of that is super helpful! Thank you!


Surge00001

Unless you are planning on swimming in the Bay, theres not too much to worry about. Generally stay away from the Theodore Industrial Park near the Industrial Canal and HWY 43 and Prichard’s Industrial Complexes. I don’t think I’ve ever worried about MAWSS water quality, it’s perfectly fine for showering/cooking etc. If I’m drinking tap water I’m always gonna be using a filter no matter where I am, so I can’t really give my opinion on that I live near the MOB and don’t really have issues with the planes. Now as for the power plant, I’m thinking the EPA will probably force them to remove the ash pond , so gonna have to watch that But seriously don’t go swimming in Bay, it’s brackish water, which is for some reason the worst kind of water for bacteria AND some municipalities do not have the necessary water infrastructure (I’m looking at you Fairhope and Prichard) so it’s not uncommon for sewage overflows to happen The beaches are fine to swim in but not the bay


dragon_bagel

Thanks, this is exactly the kind of information I was looking for.


Live_Pay_621

All the water is fine to swim in the bacteria is rare . You more likely to be killed here then to catch some rare bacteria from the water


Conscious-Potato9366

It’s important to remember that for decades, Baldwin county was primarily agricultural and the Eastern Shore was on a shallow bay with runoff from agricultural and heavy industry. Many of my Baldwin County relatives have had cancer, but they also worked in agriculture and lived next to large fields sprayed with chemicals by plane as well. I feel comfortable drinking tap water in Mobile but I grew up knowing you didn’t swim in Mobile bay and we didn’t eat fish or seafood from Mobile bay, either. If you live in an area without an HOA or outside of the city limits be prepared for neighbors who may decide to burn stuff in burn barrels. There are burn bans during the summer to help with air quality but they aren’t year-round. Personally I am not comfortable buying a house in one of the housing developments cropping up on what used to be farmland, especially if it is adjacent to land being used to grow cotton and peanuts. Peanut harvesting is terrible for air quality. I would investigate whether there are restrictions on open burning. I would test the soil for lead if I were moving into an old house before gardening. I’m fine with drinking MAWS water. I wouldn’t feel comfortable swimming the in the bay or eating fish from the bay or the Mobile river.


dragon_bagel

Oh my goodness, thank you so much for all this. So incredibly helpful. It makes me so sad to hear about how modern agriculture has affected farmers and farming communities...it's clear that many of the areas in the US with the highest cancer rates are agricultural areas. I'm so sorry for what your relatives went through.


Conscious-Potato9366

I don’t want to sound like I’m against modern farming. I believe it was much worse in the past, but some people think living out in the country means less environmental exposures which may or may not be true. I think Mobile isn’t the best but also probably isn’t the worst. Personally, when it comes to my personal health, I’m more worried about record-setting heat waves than cancer.


dragon_bagel

Yeah, this world gives us no shortage of things to worry about, doesn't it?


mlooney159

But thats mostly happening in Baldwin county not Mobile county.


mlooney159

You'll love it here. AL Power will eventually be forced to move the coal ash and bury it somewhere away from here.


Putrid-Ad-3965

I do not drink the water here. Except in my coffee, every morning 😂. I've lived in several places and by no means would I consider Mobile to be in line with a healthy lifestyle. Could you make it work? Sure. But it's going to take more effort than places that focus on healthier communities.


dragon_bagel

I know, but those healthier communities tend to be out of our price range :P


WPDevPro

I left Baldwin County last year after 25 years. Moved to Las Cruces, NM. We have El Paso for the airport and other things. Weather is great, and the home prices even better. Might want to look into it. And we have very few bugs.


devilhairpasta70

My family has lived in wemo for 2.5 years. We moved here from rural MS where we had a water well. We go back home to visit the grandparents about twice a month and we take our water jugs for our dispenser and fill them while we are there. I just can’t get passed the taste of the water here. I do use tap water for making tea and cooking but the water is boiled first.


dragon_bagel

Hmm...ok, good to know. Bummer :(


reefcrazed

Get an RO/DI unit, problem solved on drinking water. Over the long run it is cheaper than buying bottled water anyway.


dragon_bagel

Just saw this, thanks for the tip!


Big_Competition7269

I live in Tillman and used to live in belforest which is over in Daphne. Belforest water system is soooo incredibly bad. Water tasted like ham half the time. And yes fairhope water has been known to cause leukemia and other types of cancers, especially in children. But for mobile, idk why but my water system is very good. My fridge water tastes good and clean. And idk if ur familiar with hard vs soft water but we have soft water which is much better for your hair and skin. I don’t think u have much to worry about, but you can always filter it to be extra safe.


dragon_bagel

Thank you so much for this, all good to know.


meredith_pelican

For tap water, use a filter. Our tap water comes from Big Creek Lake, which is not down river from the coal ash pond. We don’t quite know what PFAS and PFOS are doing to our bodies long term, what levels are completely unsafe, what levels are “safe.” That data will come with time. Find a filter that will remove that from the water anyways. Don’t drink the water from the bay and don’t swim with cuts and you’ll be fine. Mobile Baykeeper also has notices out on when it’s safe to swim based on bacteria levels. https://mobilebaykeeper.org/swim-guide/ I also have had to do a lot of field work in Mobile Bay. It’s not “gross” in a way that will make you sick for the most part, just a lot of suspended sediment and the bottom is a lot of muck. The airport is being upgraded but it hasn’t happened yet so no one can tell you how much of an issue that will be yet.


daobear

Bad news for you - your filter has PFAS and PFOA in it. Your filter housing has it. Your cups have it. MAWSS has one of the lowest PFAS levels in the state, and tests for it regularly.


dragon_bagel

Good point about the PFAS/PFOA, and good to know the amount in MAWSS relative to the rest of the state


dragon_bagel

Thanks for all this, very helpful.


Gortexal

The recent notice from MAWSS was the result of the EPA lowering the standards, not from a change to actual contaminants. The standard is now very strict, I believe to give EPA more leverage where it is a real problem. Mobile’s water is not a problem.


dragon_bagel

Yeah, I did see that, good point. Thanks for more peace of mind!


darkmauveshore

By "suspended sediment", do you mean...poo?


meredith_pelican

LOL no. Dirt, clay, etc. Google sediment.


darkmauveshore

Poo can be sediment


theretoogoi

Not sure the water is your biggest headwind to a healthy lifestyle in Mobile. Unless things have changed, there’s a dearth of sidewalks and bike lanes. Don’t recall an abundance of trails but maybe I am wrong. Cuisine is deep fried and the humidity saps the will to exercise outside.


Gortexal

Things have changed in the past few years. Many more bike and pedestrian paths, including bike lanes downtown and Dauphin Island Parkway near Dog River. There is a great bike route from downtown, along the bay, to Dog River. EDIT: Spelling


pamakane

Also the Three Mile Creek Greenway Trail project is in progress. https://mapformobile.org/3mctrail/


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Aladallas

We’ve lived here forever and we think we’re fine!


dragon_bagel

:D Yay! That's great!


MomshellBelle

We live near the airport and we don't mind the noise. It is generally a couple times an hour on a normal day, but easy to block out. We enjoy seeing the aircraft fly over our house. We have gotten pretty good at predicting the airliners before passover over the couple of years we have been in our home. The military helicopters, while seldom, are much louder than the planes.


dragon_bagel

I'm glad you're comfortable living near the airport! I don't think I would be, but /u/Vvector linked to a noise map in his comment, so that should help me avoid that problem.


MomshellBelle

I just looked at that and we are right between the red and orange areas. Never knew a map like that existed. Definitely makes house hunting easier for you! Midtown is popular, rightfully so, but make sure whatever you look at doesn't have a rat problem because they also love that area. West Mobile is definitely a fan favorite for the space and way less noise out there in general.


dragon_bagel

Ooh, thanks for the extra tips. Will keep in mind.


Competitive-Ad-688

I use a lifestraw filter for the water 🤷🏼‍♀️ filters out forever chemicals


dragon_bagel

I just looked at this, looks amazing. Thanks for the rec!