Each year, millions of gallons of raw sewage are dumped into waterways and streets due to damaged or outdated sewer lines. This contaminated waste can contain pathogens threatening human health and pharmaceuticals and chemicals disrupting aquatic ecosystems.
Health Hazards
Sewer problems like clogs, leaks, and overflows expose people to dangerous bacteria and other health hazards. If these problems are not resolved, sewage may go back into homes through drains, causing extensive damage that will need expensive repairs and an unpleasant stench. Workers who handle sewage and other waste are also at risk of contracting waterborne diseases. Germs in sewage can cause gastroenteritis with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin infections if they enter cuts or abrasions. Hepatitis A and B are possible, although vaccination can reduce the risk.
Despite being hidden underground, sewer lines are essential in our everyday lives. Regular inspection and maintenance can help prevent pipe deterioration, ground instability, environmental pollution, and health hazards. It’s vital for promoting public health and reducing the need for invasive and expensive sewer repairs. Homeowners can enjoy a stable and reliable plumbing system for years by installing proper sewer repair.
Soil Erosion
A natural occurrence known as soil erosion happens when water or wind breaks up and moves loose soil particles. It can occur due to land use patterns, topographic characteristics, climate, and vegetative cover changes. Buildings and agricultural land can sustain damage from soil erosion, resulting in a loss of water and nutrients. The deterioration of pipes in the sewer system can cause rainwater to infiltrate the wastewater infrastructure and overflow untreated sewage into water bodies. It can contaminate lakes, rivers, and streams, threatening aquatic life. Before problems like corrosion and cracks in the pipes cause the entire system to fail, regular maintenance and inspections can help detect them.
Construction activities can also cause a significant deterioration in the physico-chemical properties of soils around the site. This erosion can be controlled through various techniques such as grading and slope engineering, vegetative measures, sediment basins, septic systems, or structural measures such as silt fences and retention ponds.
Water Pollution
Sewage systems and treatment plants are often the biggest polluters of local waterways. They dump untreated sewage, chemicals, and waste into rivers and streams, endangering people and wildlife. And even when the sewage systems aren’t overflowing, the toxic waste from pipes leaking or bursting can cause water pollution. In some cases, this contaminates the drinking water of nearby homes and businesses. In other cases, it can make its way into lakes, causing problems for aquatic life. It frequently results in eutrophication and increased phosphorus and nitrogen levels in water bodies that promote excessive algal growth and can harm ecosystems by killing fish.
In addition to sewage, many cities’ sewer systems have been clogged by wipes, disposable diapers, and other items that should be thrown in the trash instead of flushed down toilets. These items also contribute to the nutrient overload that’s devastating coastal waters and other waterways. In addition, sewage sludge—the sticky stuff leftover from the treatment process—is used as fertilizer and is another primary source of nitrogen and phosphorus in the environment.
Groundwater Contamination
Groundwater contamination is one of the most common forms of pollution affecting natural water supplies. Numerous diseases, including hepatitis, cancer, and gastrointestinal distress, can be brought on by it. Furthermore, it may result in eutrophication—a condition with insufficient oxygen in the water. It can harm any industry that depends on the water source, including farmers and fishers.
This type of pollution occurs when chemicals leak through the soil and contaminate groundwater. It is often the result of human activity, such as dumping liquid industrial waste into the ground. However, it can also occur from natural causes, such as rainstorms washing chemicals into the ground.
Some of the most dangerous groundwater contaminants come from septic tanks and other human waste disposal systems. These contaminants can include hepatitis-causing bacteria and other pathogens. Additionally, sewage can contain high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, leading to soil nutrient imbalances and hindering plant growth. These problems can be challenging to resolve since they typically require extensive cleanup and rehabilitation.
Air Pollution
The pollution caused by faulty sewage pipes goes beyond the water it discharges into. As sewage moves through the pipe, it produces methane and other gases that can be inhaled by people living nearby. It can lead to various health problems, including asthma and other respiratory issues. Sewage is a mix of many pollutants, including organic matter, feces, viruses, bacteria, metals, toxic chemicals, heavy metals, solids, microbes, plastics, and other debris that harm marine ecosystems. It also contains phenols, pesticides, oil and grease, slaughterhouse waste, metals, and sediments.
When these pollutants are mixed with rainfall or snowmelt, they can become acid rain. It can damage forests, crops, and lakes and harm human health and the environment. Acid rain also damages buildings and cars. While reducing the number of acid-rain events requires addressing point sources of pollution, such as power plants and factories, nonpoint source pollution can be reduced by repairing and maintaining sewer systems. This issue is getting worse as storm frequency rises due to climate change.
