Throughout Southern Louisiana, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has been promoting “wetland assimilation” projects as a potential low-cost alternative for waste water treatment. In these projects, treated and disinfected wastewater is released into existing wetlands instead of local streams. While I am supportive of beneficial use of waste, I have witnessed some causes for concern related to one of these projects near Hammond, LA.

As the Slog has shown, there are sewage problems all over the country. Nevertheless, I was shocked when I was in Mississippi recently and had some time to explore the sewage situation there.

My first stop was to investigate a sewage treatment plant near Jackson, MS. In the stream below the sewage treatment plant, I found a large buildup of sludge and no signs of anything living in the stream.

Here's a little Gem for the Slog from the Picayune Item in Picayune, MS. This story is just unbelievable.

Photo by Jeremy Pittari for the Picayune ItemPICAYUNE — A faulty waste water treatment plant in Westchester Subdivision is failing to properly treat waste water that is eventually fed into Hobolochitto Creek.