You should also read the article on Yahoo.com, US Cities struggle to control sewer overflows.
And remember it next time appointed and elected officials want you to Tube the Trinity River. Thousands of these overflows happen yearly. When you neglect the infrastructure that is at least a century old and was built for the population of that time, WHAT did you think would happen?
At least some of the rubbish had drifted across Lake Michigan from Milwaukee, a vivid reminder that many cities still flush nasty stuff into streams and lakes during heavy storms, fouling the waters with bacteria and viruses that can make people seriously ill.
Costs are reaching hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars.
She was shocked to learn that federal law lets cities discharge untreated sewage when their plants and storage facilities are flooded.
"It was maddening that they had permission to do this and we had to live with the consequences," Rodwell said.
The ultimate goal is zero overflows, but officials don't expect to get there until about 2035 because it will require being able to handle the kind of flooding that previously happened rarely but is becoming more common.
One partial solution gaining popularity with cities is "green infrastructure" — natural and man-made features that enable more water to soak into the ground instead of washing into storm drains and creeks. Stoner and Giles of EPA instructed field staff last year to incorporate green features into storm water and sewer permits as much as possible.
"Cities have had decades to deal with this problem," Welch said. "We need firm deadlines and we need strong enforcement so it can finally be solved."
