Dive summary:

• When Superstorm Sandy hit the New York metro area last year, billions of gallons of untreated or minimally treated sewage went into the coastal waters in New York and northern New Jersey.
• One reason is the combined storm and sanitary sewerage in older cities, which are overwhelmed by big storms and which the federal government would like to see go away if cities and states could afford to change them.
• Portland, Ore., spent $1.4 billion over a 20-year program that cut 94% of overflows into waterways.

From the article:

For years, the EPA has been trying to raise awareness of the combined sewers that serve some 40 million Americans. ...