New York Times shines a light on Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)

The New York Times has published a series of articles on water pollution in Americas waterways. The series, titled ‘Toxic Waters, recently turned its attention to a topic that hits close to home: combined sewer overflows.

This article details the threats to human health and water quality when stormwater runoff overwhelms local wastewater treatment systems. In the last three years alone, almost 10,000 local stormwater systems have violated the Clean Water Act by dumping untreated or partly treated sewage and other hazardous materials into Americas rivers and lakes - including some communities in the Twin Cities.

While FMR is working hard to make sure municipal stormwater management efforts protect our river and our communities from CSOs, we encourage you to read this article and the rest of the ‘Toxic Waters series to learn more about the challenges and opportunities facing our nations water resources.

Upcoming Events

Saturday, October 4, 2025 - 9:00am to 12:00pm
Pine Bend Bluffs Natural Area at the Flint Hills Resources property, Inver Grove Heights
Wednesday, October 8, 2025 - 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Hastings Sand Coulee SNA, Hastings
Saturday, October 11, 2025 - 8:30am to 3:30pm
Lake Rebecca Park, Hastings

Our River Campaign:
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At the heart of this new campaign is the vision of a healthy Mississippi River.