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Avoiding Septic Shock: How Climate Change Can Cause Septic System Failure And Whether New England States Are Prepared, Elena Mihaly

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

Climate change poses a number of difficult challenges to New England's infrastructure. The most commonly discussed impacts include flooding of roads, bridges, and culverts, or water damage to buildings and electric utilities. A less discussed, but equally alarming challenge to infrastructure is how climate change is impacting onsite wastewater treatment systems, more commonly known as septic systems. Almost half of homes in New England depend on septic systems to dispose of wastewater. When functioning properly, these systems filter out harmful bacteria and pathogens to ensure nearby groundwater and surface waters are safe for human health and the environment. But rising …