"Hundreds of thousands of septic systems in Michigan may be worn out, failed or failing, experts say. And research has shown they are polluting waters across the state.

Up to 1.4 million septic systems — individual waste disposal systems for homes or businesses that aren't connected to a municipal sewer line — still remain in Michigan. More than 21 million homes in the U.S. still use them.

In Michigan — the only state in the U.S. that doesn't regulate septic systems on a statewide basis — septic systems are putting 280 million gallons per day of wastewater into the ground."

Keith Matheny reports for the Detroit Free Press January 16, 2017. [2]