Rising waters plague septic tanks, threatening pollution and health risks

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Rising sea levels along the Southeast and Gulf Coast pose a problem for septic systems, which could cause environmental damage and exacerbate health risks if they fail.

and the smell of sewage hung thick in the air, Monica Arenas would flee to her mother-in-law’s home to use the bathroom or wash laundry.

For all the obvious challenges facing South Florida as sea levels surge, one serious threat to public health and the environment remains largely out of sight, but everywhere:. At more than a dozen tide gauges from Texas to North Carolina, sea levels have risen at least 6 inches since 2010 — a change similar to what occurred over the previous five decades.

The soil acts as a natural filter, neutralizing germs and pollutants before they can contaminate groundwater. Miami, where seas have risen six inches since 2010, offers a high-profile example of a predicament that parts of the southeastA chart showing annual average sea levels at Virginia Key, Biscayne Bay, Florida where according to Post analysis, seas have risen 6.0 inches since 2010. The chart shows linear trends for two periods: 1932-2009 where the trend is 0.1 inches per year and 2010 to 2023 where the trend is 0.4 inches per year.

Lazaro Garcia, head of Litz Engineering, watches Luis Amagel crawl under a Miami house as it is being converted from a septic system to municipal sewer service. Beyond the environmental concerns, O’Driscoll worries about the financial impact for coastal communities and residents. It can cost homeowners $30,000 or more to install more advanced on-site wastewater treatment systems, and it costs localities many millions to expand existing infrastructure.

Katharine Mach, a professor at the University of Miami, and Michael Sukop, a professor at Florida International University, measure the depth and water quality of king tide floodwaters on a street near the Little River in October., Miami-Dade County’s top sewer and water official, stood in the backyard of a home on NE 87th Street one afternoon. Nearby, workers had dug a trench as they prepared to connect the house and others nearby to a municipal sewer line.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava says many residents understand the issues posed by septic tanks. “They want to protect the bay,” she said. But Cava said there’s no room for complacency as waters rise. “We just have to stay ahead of it.”

Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)

 

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