Stopping Sewer Overflows A new system uses sensors on manhole
covers to monitor water levels Sewer overflow was the topic of a
recent article by the Atlantic Cities. According to the article,
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that more
than 40 million Americans living in 770 communities––mostly in
the Northeast, Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest––still rely on
combined sewers. Because these water management systems collect
sewage and storm water runoff in the same network of pipes,
heavy storms will overwhelm them and bacteria and toxic
chemicals will be discharged. In 1994, the EPA required these
municipalities to make improvements to reduce overflows and
health concerns. Six years later, Congress required
municipalities to comply as part of the Clean Water Act. Many
major cities have since begun planning for hundred-million-
dollar fixes, addressing failing pipes and networks as well as
system overflows. In an effort to develop more affordable and
effective methods of compliance, EmNet’s Co