Overflow: Climate Change, Heavy Rain, and Sewage
- Abstract
Record rainstorms across the U.S. in the past year have continued to make national news, causing billions of dollars of flood damage and killing dozens. But what has barely made headlines are that these floods often cause massive overflows of untreated sewage into streams, rivers, bays, canals, and even streets and homes. Climate Central has investigated the extent of these sewage overflows. In most cases, we found reports that millions of gallons of untreated sewage were released into streets and waterways. These overflows can have devastating consequences for public health and the environment: they can trigger dangerous outbreaks of waterborne diseases and are often linked to fish kills. And when sewage overflows into homes and businesses, expensive remediation and decontamination is needed to make them safe again.
- Resource Type
- Report
- Authors
- Alyson Kenward Nicole Zenes James Bronzman Jennifer Brady Kasturi Shah
- Date
- September, 2016
- Institution
- Climate Central
- Organization Type
- Ngo
- Health and Human Impacts
- Overview/general Water-borne disease
- Climate and Environmental Impact
- Flooding