What would the high-toned and fancy too-doo folks at the Washington Post even know about septic tanks? They rarely leave their big cities for the countryside. But, they do know how to write doomy stories as relayed by other climate cultists, and you can bet the Post’s Jim Morrison never left his cushy confines to check it out
Backed-up pipes, stinky yards: Climate change is wrecking septic tanks
Lewis Lawrence likes to refer to the coastal middle peninsula of Virginia as suffering from a “soggy socks” problem. Flooding is so persistent that people often can’t walk around without getting their feet wet.
Over two decades, Lawrence, the executive director of the Middle Peninsula Planning District, has watched the effects of that problem grow, as rising waters and intensifying rains that flood the backyard render underground septic systems ineffective. When that happens smelly, unhealthy wastewater backs up into homes.
Local companies, he said, call the Middle Peninsula the “septic repair capital of the East Coast.” “That’s all you need to know,” he added. “And it’s only going to get worse.”
As climate change intensifies, septic failures are emerging as a vexing issue for local governments. For decades, flushing a toilet and making wastewater disappear was a convenience that didn’t warrant a second thought. No longer. From Miami to Minnesota, septic systems are failing, posing threats to clean water, ecosystems and public health.
The first area mentioned in Virginia is the Saluda area, which is about 4-6 meters, at least, above sea level (it’s due east of Richmond near the Rappahonnack River). We’re worried about sea rise in Minnesota? Even with Lake Superior, ‘taint happening, cultists.
And, the screed immediately goes to the usual race baiting and inequity stuff
The issue is complex, merging common climate themes. Solutions are expensive, beyond the ability of localities to fund them. Permitting standards that were created when rainfall and sea-level rise were relatively constant have become inadequate. Low-income and disadvantaged people who settled in areas with poor soils likely to compromise systems are disproportionately affected. Maintenance requirements are piecemeal nationwide. And while it’s clear that septic failures are increasing, the full scope of the problem remains elusive because data, particularly for the most vulnerable aging systems, are difficult to compile.
Sigh. Rather shows this is politics, not science
An EPA spokesman said the agency didn’t have a report on the septic problem but noted that sea level rise, changing water tables, precipitation changes and increased temperature can cause systems to fail. The infrastructure bill passed last year provides $150 million to replace or repair systems nationwide.
Ah. That’s what this is about. Biden’s bill. I wonder how much money will actually spent to fix these systems? Which are getting hit with what is simply normal.
Read: Your Fault: Climate Crisis (scam) Backing Up Septic Tanks »