Last month, Tropical Storm Debby brought soaking rains to North Carolina that overwhelmed some wastewater treatment infrastructure in the eastern part of the state.
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Rachel Noble, a researcher at the UNC Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Sciences, said residents who are connected to municipal wastewater treatment systems enjoy a peace of mind not afforded to septic system owners.
“[Municipal] sewage systems have a level of preventive maintenance, making sure that when you live in a city or town [and] you flush the toilet, you don’t see it again,” Noble said
“You know [the sewage] is going somewhere, and it’s being treated and discharged in a responsible manner that adheres to the EPA recommendations,” she added. “With septic systems […] you flush the toilet, you hope you don’t see it again, but there’s no structure for that kind of preventive maintenance.”