Sewage spills threaten drinking water, spoil recreation, hinder economic values, and harm wildlife. River advocates across the nation are fighting the rising tide of sewage pollution.
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Are U.S. Cities Ill-equipped to Prevent Sewage Spills
(Larger Image After the Jump)Each year, an estimated several billion gallons of untreated sewage spills into the environment. The primary culprits of sewage spills (aka. sanitary sewer overflows) are antiquated sewage collection systems, excessive rainfall, and human error. From the coast of Maine to San Diego Bay, untreated sewage overflows cause beach closures and endanger human health and the environment.
Cities struggle to meet the costs of preventing sewer overflows, which can reach up to tens of millions of dollars. Yet, large overflows, greater than 500,000 gallons, are not uncommon. This is why advocates for human health and the environmental have filed suit against cities and sewer districts in an attempt to hold them responsible for large overflows. As another winter season approaches, sewage collection systems will be inundated with heavy rainfall and snow runoff, causing another round of large sewage overflows and beach closures. The question remains: have cities learned from past spills and are they better equipped to prevent them? This and other articles provided by GeoIntel.com
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Map for San Diego:
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This is a great depiction of
This is a great depiction of the massive problem with San Diego sewage infrastructure. The City has granted several waivers to permit overflows in the last decade or so, instead of owning up to the problem and taking proactive steps to address it - that is just beginning to happen. San Diego's proximity to the Mexican border only complicates matters because the authorities MUST work cooperatively with another country in order to fully address the issue.