What are the major causes of water pollution in America? Start with toilets and sewer systems.
The Rochelle, Georgia case of raw sewage overflowing for decades the town's sewers and dumping on the yards and in the homes of the African American community spotlights vividly America's under investment in water and sewer systems. While the Rochelle case is particularly egregious, sewage dumping is far from rare.
http://earthjustice.org/news/press/2013/african-american-citizens-sue-city-of-rochelle-georgia-over-decades-of-sewage-dumping.
In fact, EPA's stream survey finds that raw sewage in water is one of America's biggest sources of pollution. A full 9% of streams nationally have bacteria levels above safe levels.
http://johnhanger.blogspot.com/2013/03/stunning-fact-55-of-us-streams-are-in.html.
Pennsylvania has many communities where millions and even billions of gallons of sewage pour into rivers and streams, when rain regularly overwhelms old combined sewer systems.
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/05/camp_hill_borough_to_pay_140k.html.
As in Georgia, an overwhelmed sewer system in Pennsylvania can mean sewage backing up and flowing into homes.
Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy cannot stop raw sewage pouring into streams across the Commonwealth and America. Billions of dollars of investment in sewer systems alone can do that.
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