For all the giant steps forward that have been taken with regard to cleaning Puget Sound, there is always the threat of taking twice as many steps backward. It is sobering to think about how the long-term efforts of so many can be undone by the forces of nature and the collective unwillingness to do more.

Seattle’s combined stormwater/sewer system, like all the others like it in the Puget Sound watershed, is not an acceptable model for the populations and the risks involved. This news article is a few days old now, but the rain is still falling and we, as a region, are still fouling the water at a pace that will make it difficult to fully recover.