Houston residents find their homes flooded with possibly toxic water
Floodwaters are still a noxious threat after sewers overflowed due to Hurricane Harvey. Spillage includes fuel, pesticide and chemical waste.
A sign for luxury real estate in Houston, Texas. The American Red Cross says about 37,000 families are staying in 270 shelters after Harvey caused flooding in much of the south of the US state.
Harvey's filthy flood waters pose significant dangers to human safety and the environment even after water levels drop far enough that southeast Texas residents no longer fear for their lives, according to experts.
Houston already was notorious for sewer overflows following rainstorms. Now the system, with 40 wastewater treatment plants across the far-flung metropolis, faces an unprecedented challenge.
State officials said several dozen sewer overflows had been reported in areas affected by the hurricane, including Corpus Christi. Private septic systems in rural areas could fail as well.
Also stirred into the noxious brew are spilt fuel, run-off from waste sites, lawn pesticides and pollutants from the region's many petroleum refineries and chemical plants.
TRT World's Darren Lyn reports.
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