Why do we have “combined” sewer and stormwater systems?
When Augusta was young, there were different problems to solve and this led to different solutions. Before people really understood the impacts of dumping sewage into waterways, it was convenient to dump it into local streams and rivers. Because pipes were expensive to install and had to be dug by hand one pipe was typically used to carry both stormwater (rain) and sewage (toilet waste). Eventually people noticed that the streams and rivers were in poor condition and scientists determined that something else should be done with wastewater. How do combined sewers work today? Modern combined systems collect the vast majority of the sewer and stormwater. This water is pumped to the wastewater treatment plant. However some storms are too big to be contained in these systems and some overflows are necessary for cost considerations. What is a CSO? CSO stands for Combined Sewer Overflow. Some older sewer systems also act as drainage systems for streets and buildings. Under certain rainfall co
