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Green Infrastructure, Reduce the load on Sewer Systems

UPDATE 03/13/2015: The state has issued final permits to deal with the ongoing pollution problems from hundreds of sewer systems that filter raw sewage into the Hudson, Passaic, and Delaware rivers, as well as other waterways, during times of heavy rain. Read about it here.

CSO’s have been a problem for nearly a century. The recent order to start dealing with this issue in our older urban areas is a better late than never story. When I was a commissioner on the Interstate Environmental Commission, we made very small improvements in combating this problem.

The excuse was always that it would cost too much. What that really means is that no one wanted to make the users of the system pay the real cost of the system because it was politically painful.

Finally, we are moving forward…albeit slowly.

The most interesting thing is that some of the tenants of LEED and general green building ideas are now being touted as low cost methods of reducing storm water runoff. What an idea….don’t create the run off in the first place and it is easier to deal with.

polluted-water-overflow-from-sewage

A good start.

Read the full article:
Forum aims to help towns tackle cost of N.J.’s new rules on sewage dumping

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