Washington Post: “A Hidden Threat: Fast Rising Seas Could Swamp Septic Systems in Parts of the South”
A project conducted in part by researchers at Resources for the Future is mentioned in this article about climate risk in the American South.
EPA-funded research in Maryland has shown that many coastal properties with septic systems, which already face significant flood risk, will become far more vulnerable in the coming decades. As more septic systems fail, said Allison Reilly, a University of Maryland civil and environmental engineering professor, the more widespread the consequences will become, disproportionately harming low-income and minority residents.
“Right now it’s an environmental issue,” she said, “but as we warm, we’d expect it to become more of a public health issue.”
