The problem, therefore, was compounded by tidal action. Twice every 24 hours, the water level rose over the top of the sewer line, allowing fresh water to run into the broken pipe and travel to the treatment plant. When the tide went out, so did the sewage. We had uncovered a daily exchange of raw sewage and fresh water. These stories are from the western United States because that is where I work.
Similar problems exist coast to coast, in every state.
What really matters today is that wastewater infrastructure needs are ever increasing, yet federal capital investment has remained on a steady decline ever since the Clean Water SRF authorization expired five years ago. The current lack of authorization unintentionally widens the investment gap because it sends an implicit message to congressional budget and appropriations committees that wastewater collection and treatment is not a national priority. Annual capitalization of the program suffers as a result. Also, the absence of authorization creates uncertainty about the program's future in the eyes of potential borrowers, which may delay and in some cases prevent vital project financing. If Congress does not invest in the nation's infrastructure, the 21st century likely will be remembered for the preventable public health and environmental disaster the nation failed to prevent.