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Raw Sewage Plagues Alabama's Black Belt
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LOWNDES COUNTY, AL – JULY 10, 2017: Ruby Dee Rudolph, 66, noticed her septic tank was slowly sinking unevenly into the ground, and has endured several instances of sewage backing up into her house through the toilet and bathtub, which is a common problem in her neighborhood. “Late at night, you can smell it," Rudolph said. "I would have thought by now these systems would have been fixed, but they’re not.”
A recent study conducted by Baylor University suggests that nearly one 1 in 3 people in Lowndes County have hookworm, a parasite normally found in poor, developing countries. Below ground septic tanks are common in Lowndes, but due to the chalky clay soil throughout much of the Black Belt, septic tanks are prone to backing up into people’s homes during heavy rains. With failing or absent municipal sewage systems in the county, many families choose to live with open, above ground sewer systems made from PVC pipe, which pump raw sewage into nearby streams or open land.
A recent study conducted by Baylor University suggests that nearly one 1 in 3 people in Lowndes County have hookworm, a parasite normally found in poor, developing countries. Below ground septic tanks are common in Lowndes, but due to the chalky clay soil throughout much of the Black Belt, septic tanks are prone to backing up into people’s homes during heavy rains. With failing or absent municipal sewage systems in the county, many families choose to live with open, above ground sewer systems made from PVC pipe, which pump raw sewage into nearby streams or open land.
