The Alabama Legislature on Thursday approved a bill to revamp the Birmingham Water Works Board and reduce the city’s influence over the utility.

The bill has gone to Gob. Kay Ivey’s desk and becomes effective immediately if she signs it.

“At its core, this bill represents the culmination of a dream some suburban legislators have had for years to take control of Birmingham’s most important natural resource, the water produced and distributed by BWW,” the board responded in a statement after the vote. “This effort was never about representation, management or quality; it’s about control. The appointing authorities included in the bill confirm that fact. SB330 opens the door for the very corruption and cronyism that plagued the system in the past.

Senate Bill 330 would decrease the number of members from nine to seven. The board now has two members appointed by the mayor of Birmingham, four by the Birmingham City Council, one by the Jefferson County Mayors Association, one by Blount County and one by Shelby County.

The bill passed Thursday would revamp the membership of the board to a seven-member regional board. The governor would appoint one member, who would have to be from Jefferson County; and one member each would be appointed by the lieutenant governor, the Birmingham City Council, the Birmingham mayor, the Jefferson County Commission president, the governing body of each county in which a BWWB-owned major reservoir is principally located (Blount County), and by the commission in the county where the second-largest number of water customers reside (Shelby County).

Sen. Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook and sponsor of the bill, has said the action was aimed at addressing billing, service and past corruption issues. Rep. Jim Carns, R-Vestavia Hills, carried the bill in the House and has said it was prompted by ratepayers’ complaints, many about the cost of water.

But state Rep. Juandalynn, D-Birmingham, in a Facebook post shortly after the vote called it the “total dismantling of the municipal water system as we know it.”

Givan, who is running for mayor, called it devastating that Birmingham will not have the majority of votes on the board.

“We have lost the most key essential resource that any city or community could have control over, and that is the water,” she said.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said in a statement Thursday that his concern was for the ratepayers. “This is not in their best interest,” said Woodfin, who is running for reelection. “The city does not own the water works nor operate it but the passage of this legislation clearly weakens the voice of a major part of the utility’s ratepayers.”

The bill was approved on a 6 to 27 party-line vote, which Rep. Kelvin Datcher, D-Birmingham, called undemocratic. Datcher said the bill is tantamount to the state taking control, which he said “is not what’s best for anyone.”

Several attempts to amend the bill were defeated Thursday morning, including ones that would have shifted one of the appointments from Blount County to the Birmingham City Council because there are far fewer customers in Blount; require the lieutenant governor’s appointee to be from St. Clair County; bar legislators from serving on the board; and bar any appointees who own or have interest in any sewer system in Jefferson County.

The Water Works Board said in its statement that although it opposed the bill, it will work toward a smooth transition.

“There will be no interruption to service, customer service or any of the vital needs we meet for our customers every day due to this legislation, including ongoing improvements to infrastructure,” the statement read. “We will ensure our services remain unaffected.”