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Article: The sickening sewer crisis.(problems of US sewer systems)
- Article from:
- U.S. News & World Report
- Article date:
- June 12, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 All rights reserved. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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ATLANTA--Brenda and Mike Martin were planning to ring in the new millennium in style--but it didn't quite work out that way. The day before New Year's Eve, the Martins, both real-estate agents, detected a foul odor in their elegant home in the city's affluent Buckhead neighborhood. The sewer line on their street had become partially blocked with grease from nearby restaurants, and a peek down their basement steps confirmed the worst: Human feces, sanitary napkins, and toilet paper lay sopping on the floor. Brenda, president of the influential Peachtree Park Civic Association, couldn't rouse the mayor or a cleanup crew as the holiday neared. So on New Year's Eve, Mike-- ...