FAIRHOPE — Leaders of Clean Water Alabama spoke Tuesday night at the Fairhope Public Library about the organization's efforts to protect Alabama's waterways through public education, youth outreach and advocacy.

The event focused on pollution challenges in coastal communities and the group's mission since becoming a nonprofit in 2021.

John Manelos, president and co-founder of Clean Water Alabama, said the organization was created to bring attention to water quality issues and engage residents in protecting natural resources.

"The mission is to engage citizens, actions to protect and preserve Alabama's water resources," Manelos said.

Manelos described how stormwater and aging sewer infrastructure have contributed to pollution, particularly sanitary sewer overflows following heavy rain events. He pointed to long-neglected wastewater systems, including old clay pipes and failing lift stations, as major causes.

"Most of the problems in Fairhope are a result of decades of neglect and failure to replace and upgrade the city's wastewater collection system," he said.

He also emphasized the organization's role in informing the public and working alongside other environmental groups rather than duplicating their efforts.

"There's no one organization that's going to solve all this," Manelos said. "We've found kind of a small niche that we continue to work on."

Manelos said Clean Water Alabama works alongside groups such as Coal Ash Action Group, Mobile Baykeeper and Alabama Rivers Alliance, among others, each focusing on different aspects of water protection across the state.

That niche, he said, has increasingly focused on education — especially among young people.

John Woods, executive director of Clean Water Alabama, said the organization works to unite the community around protecting Alabama's waterways for future generations.

"We all have children, grandchildren, friends — we all want clean water," Woods said. "There's nobody that is on this side or that side that gets clean water."

Woods said the organization decided about three years ago to concentrate heavily on youth education, believing long-term change begins with early awareness.

"What our hope is is to grab the kids … and show them what the problem is with the bay, and then the solutions that will make the bay better," he said.

The group has developed activity books, coloring books and illustrated educational stories distributed to thousands of students across Baldwin County schools, along with classroom materials designed to teach water conservation and pollution prevention.

Clean Water Alabama has also partnered with community organizations to create educational placemats for restaurants and launched scholarships for students pursuing environmental studies.

One of its newest projects includes a children's book focused on the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, often described as one of the most ecologically diverse regions in the country.

Throughout the evening, speakers emphasized collaboration with local officials, schools and environmental organizations as essential to improving water quality.

"We are so blessed to have this beautiful resource," Manelos said, referring to Mobile Bay and surrounding rivers. "You can make a difference, and you can't assume that our officials know all about what's going on."

Gabriella Chavez is a Report for America corps member who writes about growth and development in Baldwin County and our natural spaces for Gulf Coast Media. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yaf8yf5n.