A $3 Billion Problem: Miami-Dade’s Septic Tanks are Already Failing Due to Sea Rise
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Government
Miami-Dade has tens of thousands of septic tanks, and a new report reveals most are already malfunctioning — the smelly and unhealthy evidence of which often ends up in people’s yards and homes. It’s a billion-dollar problem that climate change is making worse.
By Alex Harris, Miami Herald
Representative Image Source: Wikimedia Commons, labeled for reuse
As sea level rise encroaches on South Florida, the Miami-Dade County study shows that thousands of more residents may be at risk — and soon. By 2040, 64 percent of county septic tanks (more than 67,000) could have issues every year, affecting not only the people who rely on them for sewage treatment but the region’s water supply and the health of anyone who wades through floodwaters.
“That’s a huge deal for a developed country in 2019 to have half of the septic tanks not functioning for part of the year,” said Miami Waterkeeper Executive Director Rachel Silverstein. “That is not acceptable.”
Septic tanks require a layer of dirt underneath to do the final filtration work and return the liquid waste back to the aquifer. Older rules required one foot of soil, but newer regulations call for double that. In South Florida, there’s not that much dirt between the homes above ground and the water below.
Read the full report on Miami Herald
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- Design & Construction
- Urban Water Infrastructure
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- Flood management
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- Sea Level Rise Risk Perception
- Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assesment
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