Yellowstone National Park’s aging sewage system is overwhelmed and dilapidated, a condition that on July 2 led to several thousand gallons of raw sewage spilling into a meadow in the park. Last year, raw sewage leaks contaminated Yellowstone Lake and a creek near the Old Faithful geyser. The park has some 3 million annual visitors who create 270 million gallons of waste. The National Park Service has identified 142 water and sewer problems in the park that would cost $30 million to repair, more than the park’s total annual budget. Yellowstone also needs $300 million in road repairs, part of a $5 billion maintenance backlog at 378 national parks across the U.S.
