Living in Cottondale, AL: what to set up and who to call
Tuscaloosa Water & Sewer reported 2 health-based violations to EPA in the last five years: a surface water treatment requirement (Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule), disinfection byproducts (HAA5). 86% of systems its size reported none. Cottondale has no town government of its own, so Tuscaloosa County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Tuscaloosa County School District.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Cottondale, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Cottondale.
Power comes from Alabama Power
Alabama Power (Alabama Power Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Cottondale. Its homes paid an average of 17.9¢ per kWh in 2025, about $202 a month (its average across Alabama).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Tuscaloosa Water & Sewer
Tuscaloosa Water & Sewer supplies almost all of Cottondale. It draws surface water and serves 166,524 people in all.
2 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a surface water treatment requirement (Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule), disinfection byproducts (HAA5), the latest beginning Aug 2023. 86% of the 332 systems serving 100,001–250,000 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2024–Dec 2026, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. AL0001313.
5 home internet providers serve Cottondale
100% of 1,155 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 34% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 97% | 2,000/250 |
| AT&T | DSL, Fiber, Fixed wireless | 78% | 5,000/5,000 |
| Spectrum | Cable | 12% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 65% | 25/6 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 48% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Cottondale’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Cottondale.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Cottondale (99%) is in Tuscaloosa County School District.
B−School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
No town hall: the county runs things
Cottondale is unincorporated, so Tuscaloosa County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2019; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Cottondale spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Cottondale residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Cottondale | ZIP’s residents in Cottondale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35453 | Cottondale, AL | 90% | 22% |
| 35404 | Tuscaloosa, AL | 10% | 1% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Cottondale
Who supplies Cottondale’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Tuscaloosa Water & Sewer (EPA ID AL0001313). It reported 2 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a surface water treatment requirement (Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule), disinfection byproducts (HAA5). 86% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2024–Dec 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Cottondale?
Alabama Power (Alabama Power Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Cottondale?
Xfinity, AT&T, Spectrum, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Cottondale?
35453 (90%), 35404 (10%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Cottondale in?
Tuscaloosa County School District.
How do I register to vote in Cottondale?
In Alabama you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before). Elections here are run by the Tuscaloosa County Circuit Clerk. Check your registration at myinfo.alabamavotes.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.