Justice in the Sewers: Story Map and Timeline

By
Kristen Schlemmer
Category
Date
April 6, 2023

Two years have passed since a federal judge in Houston approved a landmark agreement requiring the City of Houston to invest $2 billion in local sanitary sewer upgrades over 15 years. All month long, we are commemorating this anniversary and analyzing the on-the-ground effects of this once-in-a-generation investment. To follow along and learn more, visit our Justice in the Sewers hub

This week, we launched a new story map and video timeline on the hub, which are also linked below. These show that our sewage problems began soon after the city was founded. Over our city’s second century, redlining and other racist practices created injustices in our sewer systems. As we look toward the consent decree’s term, which concludes with the city’s 200th birthday in 2036, we ask whether it will help us find #JusticeintheSewers.