Number of sewer overflows in the U.S. 2001-2024

The number of combined sewer overflows in the United States has increased in recent years. From January 1 to June 10, 2024, 765 combined sewer overflows occurred in the U.S., already overshadowing the number of cases reported at the beginning of the century. A combined sewer system collects rainwater, and domestic and industrial wastewater into one pipe, to later be transported to a treatment plant. When the capacity of these systems gets exceeded, untreated runoff flows to nearby waterbodies. In the U.S. combined sewers are mostly located in the Northeast.

近年来，美国合流式污水溢出的数量有所上升。截至2024年1月1日至6月10日，美国已发生765起合流式污水溢出事件，这一数字已超过本世纪初报告的案件数量。合流式污水系统将雨水、家庭和工业废水收集至同一管道，随后输送至处理厂。当这些系统的容量超出时，未经处理的废水便会流入邻近水域。在美国，合流式污水系统主要分布于东北部地区。