Over 1/3 of US sewers dump waste in rivers

Timon Singh

America's sewer system seems to be constant need of upgrading. When they were upgraded in 1972 under the Clean Water Act to handle growing populations and increasing runoff of rainwater and waste, many sewer systems were already over a hundred years old.

Today, however, more than a third of US sewer systems are operating beyond their capacity and are regularly dumping waste into rivers and lakes, despite the threat of fines of regulators. As a result, as many as 20 million people get sick each year from unsafe drinking water. Despite Congress spending more than $60 billion during the 1970s and 1980s on ensuring that sewerage does not harm human health, sewer systems are still frequently overwhelmed by rainwater causing sewage to flow freely into waterways and onto the streets.

According to research undertaken by The New York Times, the Environmental Protection Agency and various state environmental agencies, the past three years has seen more than 9400 of the nation's 25,000 sewage systems - including those in major cities - violate the law by dumping untreated or partly treated human waste, chemicals and other hazardous materials into rivers and lakes. What's even more disturbing is that less then one in five sewage systems that broke the law, were fined or sanctioned by state or federal regulators.

Overflow

So why is this happening? Why is water overflowing into the streets and rivers? One reason is the rapid expansion of American cities - as construction has increased, many green spaces such as parks that absorbed rainwater have been paved over giving no place for the water to go. Coupled with neglected infrastructure systems, sewage backs up when it rains heavily allowing it to overflow, sometimes just upstream from drinking water intake points or near public beaches.

As a result, it has been estimated that as many as 20 million people each year drink water containing bacteria and other pathogens spread by untreated waste, causing often severe illnesses.

A study published in 2008 in the Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health, estimated that as many as four million people become sick each year in California from swimming in waters containing the kind of pollution often linked to untreated sewage. Meanwhile in New York, water collected at piers and beaches are often filled with the types of bacteria and other pollutants tied to sewage overflows. Although the city's drinking water comes from upstate reservoirs, environmentalists say untreated excrement and other waste in the city's waterways pose serious health risks.

Antiquated systems

So why is the EPA not doing anything to stop this or financially punish those responsible? One of the EPA's missions since the mid-1990s has been to "significantly reduce or eliminate such overflows", yet it seems more often than not, sewage plant operators escape punishment.

"The EPA would rather look the other way than crack down on cities, since punishing municipalities can cause political problems," said Craig Michaels of Riverkeep, an environmental advocacy group, speaking to the New York Times. "But without enforcement and fines, this problem will never end."

It has been argued that to hit the operators would heavy fines would stretch their budgets even further, undermining the system even more as many have said they are significantly reducing or eliminating such overflows. Especially in New York...

The above infographic shows the extent to which overflows are a problem in the Big Apple, but New York's sewage system is over 150 years old relying on gravity to operate the 7400 miles of sewer pipes instead of pumps. However, with rainwater being absorbed into the sewage system due to the lack of water-absorbing land, excess frequently spills from 490 pipes into the five boroughs.

Several years ago, city officials estimated that it would cost at least $58 billion to prevent all overflows. "Even an expenditure of that magnitude would not result in every part of a river or bay surrounding the city achieving water quality that is suitable for swimming," the department wrote. "It would, however, increase the average N.Y.C. water and sewer bill by 80 percent."

However with the financial downturn causing Congress to cut budgets where they can, only $6 billion has been put aside this year to improve sewers and other water systems.

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