Overloaded Sewers Lead To 'Toxic Waters'

In part because of overwhelmed sewer systems, human excrement and dangerous chemicals are making their way into our waterways and drinking water. New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg returns to Fresh Air to talk about chemicals in our drinking water, and how the nation's sewer systems are desperately in need of infrastructure repairs — even if the fix is not exactly politically attractive.

An estimated one out of ten Americans is exposed to this unsafe drinking water. Duhigg reports on the "worsening pollution in American waters" — and regulators' responses to the problem — in his New York Times series, "Toxic Waters." In researching the series, he studied thousands of water pollution records, which he obtained via the Freedom of Information Act.

Duhigg previously wrote about businesses' and investors' efforts to profit from the growing number of older Americans in his "Golden Opportunities" series for the Times. He is a regular contributor on NPR's Planet Money Blog, and a recipient of the George Polk Award.