Improper sewage treatment in waters around the world has become a major contributor to the pollution of most coastal waters.  By dumping untreated sewage or improperly dumping sewage into coastal waters, illnesses to both humans and fish have occurred, coral reefs have become depleted, and microorganisms from the sewage have depleted the oxygen content in the waters.  Also, toxic wastes may be taken up by microorganisms, which would then carry the toxins up the food chain to larger fish and humans (biomagnification).

    There are a few ways to treat the sewage problems in the coastal regions. First, primary and secondary sewage treatment plants can be used to remove floating and solid debris in the wastes.  The secondary treatment phase may then remove more solid wastes and almost all pathogens through biological treatment, using bacteria and aeration.  The treated water is normally chlorinated before release to a public waterway.

    Another method of reducing the amount of sewage being dumped into coastal waters is through stricter guidelines written into federal and state laws.

• Has the Clean Water Act improved the quality of sewage effluent being released into coastal waterways?
• Do we need to reauthorize the "Construction Grants Program" outlined in the Clean Water Act, in order to revitalize sewage treatment facilities along the East Coast?