Many communities in New York State, Connecticut, and throughout the nation are served by aging and dilapidated sewage infrastructure. When our sewage infrastructure is not properly operated or maintained, billions of gallons of untreated raw sewage can be released in to the environment before reaching a treatment plant. Sewage is primarily discharged into the environment through Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSO) and Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO). Separate sewer systems carry only wastewater such as domestic sanitary waste and commercial and industrial waste to a sewage treatment plant. Separate sewers are not designed or intended to carry water such as storm water. SSOs occur in separate systems. Combined sewer systems are built larger than separate sewers so that they can carry two components: wastewater, carried continuously, and runoff, carried after storms.
Our sewer systems carry waste from domestic, commercial, and industrial users. Sewage can contain disease-causing microorganisms, floating human waste, toxic pollutants, oil, grease, pesticides, drugs, and other contaminants. In addition to posing public health risks, sewage is rich in environmental nutrients, like nitrates and phosphates, which degrade water quality and cause algal blooms, hypoxia, and fish kills.
Every New York State and Coastal Connecticut community is in the watershed of a major water body, such as the Niagara River, the Great Lakes of Erie and Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, the Mohawk, the Chesapeake Bay, the Hudson River, the New York City reservoir system, South Shore Estuary and the Long Island Sound. Our water resources provide drinking water for millions of residents, habitat for fish and wildlife, extraordinary recreational opportunities, and support billion dollar industries. Sewage pollution is a significant threat to the health of our valued water bodies.
CCE works at the state and federal level to adopt stronger policies to eliminate sewage pollution, provide adequate funding for our sewage infrastructure, and mandate public notification when sewage overflows occur.
Sanitary Sewer Overflows: Stronger regulations needed
A Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) is any spill or release of raw sewage from a separate sanitary sewer system before the sewage can reach the sewage treatment plant, regardless of whether the release is intentional or unintentional. SSOs are generally illegal. The issue of SSOs is important because, currently, federal and state regulatory programs are not effectively limiting the frequency and number of SSOs occurring nationally or locally.
Sewage Overflows: The Public has the right to know
Many communities in New York, Connecticut, and across the nation are adversely impacted from raw sewage overflows. However, there is currently no consistent reporting and public notification requirement for sewage overflows, and public health agencies and drinking water suppliers are often unaware when overflows contaminate waterways.
Upholding the Promise of Clean Water: Providing funding for our aging infrastructure
With the passage of the Clean Water Act (CWA) nearly 35 years ago, Congress made a promise to protect and improve our nation’s water quality for current and future generations. Since the adoption of the CWA, clean water infrastructure investment has made significant improvements to local water quality, but significant investments are needed, as forty percent (40%) of our nation’s accessed waterways fail to achieve standards. Clean water is advanced through various federal grants and loan programs that address threats to our nation’s waters, such as sewage contamination and polluted storm water runoff. CCE works to provide full funding for federal programs that assist state and local governments to fulfill the promise of the Clean Water Act.
CCE’s campaign to provide funding for clean water infrastructure
Read the report The Case for a Clean Water Trust Fund: New Realities, New Solutions, by Food and Water Watch
CCE’s campaign to increase funding to the New York State Environmental Protection Fund, a major source of funding for clean water in New York State
Updated by seckel 3/30/10