Septic tank
While a properly maintained and located septic tank does not pose any more environmental problems than centralized municipal sewage treatment, certain problems can arise with septic tanks in unsuitable locations. Since septic systems require large drainfields, they are not suitable for densely built areas.
Newtown Creek
Then, in 1967, the city built the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is now the largest sewage treatment facility operated by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. Located on the south bank near the creek's mouth in Greenpoint, the plant handles a large portion of the drainage from the East Side of Manhattan. Sewage from the Financial District, Greenwich Village, the Lower East Side, Midtown East and the East Side up to 71st Street flows through of sewer pipes into interceptor pipes to the Thirteenth Street Pumping Station at 13th Street and Avenue D, from where it is sent under the East River to the plant. Normal influx is per day, which increases to during wet weather. When a significant overflow occurred during the New York City blackout of 1977 ( of raw sewage spilled into the East River), the federal government ordered in 1995 that the city build back-up facilities. Despite this, the Northeast blackout of 2003 produced of raw sewage spilled.