Aerial view of a mansion in Suffolk County, New York in 2022.
Aerial view of a mansion in Suffolk County, New York in 2022.
  • Suffolk County, Long Island's heavy reliance on septic tanks is contaminating its groundwater.
  • It's also restricting the construction of dense housing as home prices and rents soar.
  • Sewer issues are sometimes used as an excuse to avoid building more housing, activists say.

When you flush the toilet, you probably don't consider where its contents go.