Grinder pumps on MAWSS (Mobile Area Water and Sewer System): who owns, who repairs, who to call
Short answer
Customer owns it. MAWSS's FAQ makes the customer responsible "to obtain, install and maintain a grinder pump" and says MAWSS will not fix it. Repair and replacement: your plumber, with a pump MAWSS accepts. Alarm: your plumber. Decentralized subdivision under Policy 2.21: MAWSS maintains the pump, so call MAWSS at 251-694-3165.
MAWSS answers the ownership question in its own FAQ. Asked whether it will fix a grinder pump when it breaks down, it says no: the customer's job is "to obtain, install and maintain a grinder pump". There is one exception. In the subdivisions MAWSS calls decentralized systems, MAWSS operates and maintains the septic tank, its pump and the pump's electrical equipment under Policy 2.21.
Which of those two you are on changes who you call, so this page covers both, with MAWSS's FAQ and its Policy and Procedure Manual quoted and linked.
The rule at a glance
Ledger of Mobile Area Water and Sewer System- Who owns the pump
- Homeowner (MAWSS maintains the tank and pump in its decentralized subdivisions, Policy 2.21)
- Who repairs it
- Homeowner arranges, with any plumber; MAWSS will not fix it. Decentralized subdivisions: MAWSS
- Who replaces it
- Homeowner arranges, with a pump MAWSS accepts under Policy 2.19 (current list not published; confirm with MAWSS)
- Who to call first on an alarm
- Customer-owned pump: a plumber. Decentralized subdivision: MAWSS at 251-694-3165
“No. It is the customer's responsibility to obtain, install and maintain a grinder pump.”
Source: Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS), published rule. Areas: City of Mobile and parts of Mobile County in MAWSS's sewer service area, including Tillmans Corner and the US-90 core of Theodore; not Prichard or Eight Mile; Semmes mixed
The rule in MAWSS's own words
The FAQ. Under "Will MAWSS fix it when it breaks down?" the answer opens with a plain "No." and continues that the customer's responsibility is "to obtain, install and maintain a grinder pump." Source: www.mawss.com/residential/service-support-faqs
Policy 2.19. MAWSS's Policy and Procedure Manual (2025 edition, approved December 6, 2024) repeats it for grinder stations: "The Board will not be responsible for maintaining the grinder station." Source: www.mawss.com/…
Policy 2.21, the exception. For decentralized systems, the same manual says: "MAWSS will operate and maintain the collection system, which consists of the septic tanks, its pump, and the electrical equipment for the pump."
MAWSS's emergency preparedness notice for grinder pump customers, posted October 8, 2026, frames the group this way: "A small percentage of customers are connected to the sanitary sewer system by means of a grinder pump that is not owned by MAWSS." Source: www.mawss.com/…
What that means in practice
Start by finding out which kind of system you have. A standard grinder pump on a MAWSS sewer is yours. A tank and pump in a MAWSS decentralized subdivision is MAWSS's to maintain.
- Repair (customer-owned grinder pump)Yours, with any plumber. MAWSS will not fix it.
- ReplacementYours, with a pump from the list MAWSS's Policy 2.19 refers to, and a low flow, high head pump where your force main may serve other developments.
- InstallationYours, under the same policy.
- Alarm (customer-owned pump)Limit water use and call a plumber. Alarm in a decentralized subdivision: call MAWSS at 251-694-3165, because MAWSS maintains that pump.
What we do on MAWSS, and what we do not
For customer-owned grinder pumps on MAWSS, we repair, replace and install, because MAWSS's own rule places all of it on the customer. Brandon Byrd, who owns the business, is licensed in Alabama as a master plumber.
For homes in a MAWSS decentralized subdivision, we do not service the tank, pump or its electrical equipment. MAWSS operates and maintains those under Policy 2.21, and a private plumber working on them is the wrong call. We can help with a separate indoor sewage ejector. For a general house drain problem, call a drain service provider.
We also do not publish a MAWSS-approved pump list here. Policy 2.19 refers to a list in Appendix A, Part III of MAWSS's Standard Specifications, but the Appendix A posted on MAWSS's site, revised June 2026, has no grinder pump part. Until MAWSS confirms which list governs, we size a replacement with MAWSS, not around it.
Which pump MAWSS accepts, and what is not yet published
Policy 2.19 sets two cases. "If the grinder pump is connected to a gravity sewer line or is in a development with a low pressure collection system served by a gravity sewer adjacent to the development, the pump shall be any of the accepted pumps listed in Appendix A, Part III, Submersible Grinder Pumps, of the Board's Standard Specifications."
And: "If the grinder pump is in a development with a low-pressure system served by a force main that may serve other developments, the pump shall be a low flow/high head pump as listed in Appendix A, Part III, Submersible Grinder Pumps, of the Board's Standard Specifications."
The open item is the list itself. The current Appendix A on mawss.com covers water main and wastewater materials and contains no grinder pump section. Ask MAWSS which pumps it currently accepts before buying one; we will not name brands on MAWSS's behalf.
Permits and inspections
MAWSS does not publish a general permit path for a residential grinder pump replacement. Its Policy 2.19 assistance program, where it applies, is paid out only on receipt of quotes and "an inspection certificate from the appropriate jurisdiction", which tells you an inspection by the city or county is expected. Ask the City of Mobile or Mobile County building department which permit applies to your address.
Where MAWSS provides sewer
MAWSS serves the City of Mobile and parts of the surrounding county, including the Tillmans Corner area and the US-90 core of Theodore. Its sewer area does not include Prichard or Eight Mile, which are served by Prichard's own board, and it does not reach the septic areas further south and west such as Wilmer, Irvington, Coden and Mon Louis. Semmes is mixed, with a small MAWSS pocket, South Alabama Utilities effluent subdivisions and a lot of septic.
MAWSS publishes a Service Area Finder map, linked in the sources below. It shows the utility's area, not whether a given address is connected, so confirm with MAWSS or your bill.
Other utilities
Not on MAWSS? The rule follows the utility, not the town.
- BCSSCity limits of Spanish Fort, Summerdale, Elberta, Silverhill and Perdido Beach, plus many unincorporated areas of Baldwin County including the Fort Morgan peninsula, Magnolia Springs, Point Clear and Lillian subdivisions
- Gulf Shores UtilitiesCity of Gulf Shores; parts of the Fort Morgan peninsula inside the city limits (address check needed)
- Fairhope UtilitiesCity of Fairhope and areas north of Fairhope; Point Clear is mixed with BCSS (address check needed)
- Riviera UtilitiesCity of Foley
- North Baldwin UtilitiesBay Minette and the northern area of Baldwin County, including Stockton where sewer exists
- South Alabama UtilitiesEffluent sewer subdivisions in the Citronelle and Semmes areas; Mobile County and part of Washington County
- Orange Beach sewerAll locations inside Orange Beach city limits and some county locations, including low-pressure lines to Ono Island and the Miflin Creek area
- Loxley utilitiesCity of Loxley; parts of the surrounding area are BCSS franchise territory (address check needed)
Questions people ask
Does MAWSS own my grinder pump?
No. MAWSS's FAQ makes obtaining, installing and maintaining a grinder pump the customer's responsibility, and its emergency notice describes grinder pumps as not owned by MAWSS. The exception is a MAWSS decentralized subdivision, where MAWSS maintains the tank and its pump.
Will MAWSS fix my grinder pump when it breaks?
No. That is the exact question in MAWSS's FAQ, and the answer is no. Policy 2.19 adds that the Board will not be responsible for maintaining the grinder station.
What grinder pump does MAWSS accept?
Policy 2.19 points to the accepted pumps in Appendix A, Part III of MAWSS's Standard Specifications, with a low flow, high head pump required where a shared force main may serve other developments. The posted Appendix A currently has no grinder pump section, so confirm the current list with MAWSS before buying.
What is a MAWSS decentralized system?
A subdivision collection system of septic tanks with pumps that MAWSS operates and maintains under Policy 2.21, including the pump's electrical equipment. If you are in one, call MAWSS, not a plumber, when the pump alarms.
Who do I call when my grinder pump alarm goes off in Mobile?
For a customer-owned pump, limit water use and call a plumber; MAWSS will not repair it. In a MAWSS decentralized subdivision, call MAWSS at 251-694-3165.
Does MAWSS serve Prichard, Eight Mile or Semmes?
Prichard and unincorporated Eight Mile are served by Prichard's water and sewer board, not MAWSS. Semmes is mixed: a small MAWSS pocket, South Alabama Utilities effluent subdivisions and septic. Check your bill or MAWSS's service area map.
Sources and facts
- Will MAWSS fix it when it breaks down? No. It is the customer's responsibility to obtain, install and maintain a grinder pump. www.mawss.com/residential/service-support-faqs (read 2026-11-04)
- A small percentage of customers are connected to the sanitary sewer system by means of a grinder pump that is not owned by MAWSS (notice posted 2026-10-08). www.mawss.com/… (read 2026-11-04)
- The Board will not be responsible for maintaining the grinder station (Policy 2.19, 2025 manual approved 2024-12-06). www.mawss.com/… (read 2026-11-04)
- Grinder pump on a gravity sewer or on a low pressure system served by an adjacent gravity sewer: any accepted pump in Appendix A, Part III (Policy 2.19). www.mawss.com/… (read 2026-11-04)
- Grinder pump on a low-pressure system served by a force main that may serve other developments: a low flow/high head pump as listed in Appendix A, Part III (Policy 2.19). www.mawss.com/… (read 2026-11-04)
- MAWSS will operate and maintain the collection system in decentralized systems, consisting of the septic tanks, its pump and the electrical equipment for the pump (Policy 2.21). www.mawss.com/… (read 2026-11-04)
- Policy 2.19 assistance is disbursed on receipt of three quotes and an inspection certificate from the appropriate jurisdiction. www.mawss.com/… (read 2026-11-04)
- The Appendix A posted on mawss.com (revised 06/2026) contains water main and wastewater materials sections and no grinder pump entry; the accepted pump list is not published there. www.mawss.com/… (read 2026-11-04)
- MAWSS emergency phone 251-694-3165. www.mawss.com (read 2026-11-04)
- MAWSS sewer service area includes the Tillmans Corner core and the US-90 core of Theodore; excludes Prichard, Eight Mile, Wilmer, Irvington, Coden and Mon Louis; Semmes is mixed. mawss.maps.arcgis.com/… (read 2026-11-04)
- Prichard Water Works and Sewer Board serves Prichard and unincorporated Eight Mile; no MAWSS takeover as of mid-2026. www.al.com/… and www.fox10tv.com/… (read 2026-11-04)