Need $11 Billion, 20 Years To Fix NC Sewer Systems; In 6 Yrs. 432 Million Gallons Raw Sewage Spilled

[hatrack]

Last edited Wed Nov 28, 2018, 02:49 PM - Edit history (1)

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The state Department of Environmental Quality estimates that it will cost as much as $11 billion to fix sewer systems statewide over the next 20 years. Under the state’s open records laws, N.C. Health News asked the state Department of Environmental Quality for all reported sanitary sewer overflows from Jan. 1, 2012 through Oct. 17 of this year. State law requires overflows of more than 1,000 gallons to be reported within 24 hours. Overflows that reach rivers, streams or other surface waters must also be reported within 24 hours, regardless of volume.

An analysis of the DEQ’s records found that 8,510 sanitary sewer overflows were reported during that nearly seven-year span, spilling 432 million gallons of untreated sewage. Of that, the records show, 332 million gallons reached surface waters. To put those numbers into perspective, 400 million gallons of sewage would fill 200 1-acre ponds to a depth of about 6 feet.

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But Cahoon and other researchers say sanitary sewer overflows caused by disrepair or poor maintenance can and must be prevented by providing enough money so municipalities can fix the problems. To do that wouldn’t be cheap, or sexy, to a politician. Residents probably wouldn’t support a tax increase to pay for it, largely because the problems aren’t visible. “Nobody’s going to go for that, ever,” said Rachel Noble, a UNC-Chapel Hill professor at the Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City.

Yet the consequences of doing little to nothing could be much more severe. “It’s only going to get worse if we do nothing,” said Joel Decoste, a professor in the civil, construction and environmental engineering department at N.C. State University. “This is clearly not rocket science. We have simply got to invest in our infrastructure, otherwise we will be paying the price.”

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https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2018/11/27/aging-sewer-systems-spell-trouble-across-north-carolina/

[SWBTATTReg]

1. What do these people in NC expect, that the federal government will step in and pay for ...

these repairs, thus dumping this responsibility onto the rest of us in America? Figures.

In STLMO, our sewer bills are going up, but this is due to the infrastructure repairs to our sewer systems that are mandated by the EPA (storm water runoffs too). I'm glad and we're also paying for it too. We didn't ask anyone to pay for the repairs.

[littlemissmartypants]

2. NC is a state of turmoil in turmoil. Sounds redundant.

And it's meant to be. That's how bad it is. The NCGA has been hijacked for a while so that explains some of it. As to what North Carolinians expect it's hard to say. Many, many people are still homeless and even jobless since Florence and Michael blew through. I believe that the recent weather phenomenon have helped to highlight the current precarious state of many infrastructure issues, not just water and sewer. Also, I suspect that NC is not the only state with the need for cash flow remedies in assessing these infrastructure challenges. I hope good Governor Cooper can help right the ship. I know that he's trying.

♡ lmsp