Miami-Dade County’s North Dade Landfill in Miami Gardens.
Photographer: Marco Bello/Bloomberg
Miami’s Overflowing Septic Tanks and Trash Piles Test Appeal to Rich
As the city tries to attract more out-of-state workers and wealthy residents, it must deal with a multi-billion dollar environmental problem.
Miami wants to attract even more out-of-state workers and wealthy newcomers like hedge fund tycoon Ken Griffin. But first, County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava faces a huge environmental problem: overflowing garbage heaps and septic tanks.
Some of greater Miami’s massive landfills, known by clever names like Mount Trashmore, will run out of space by 2026, according to a report from Cava’s office. More urgent are the septic systems that serve the city’s 2.7 million residents. Many of those front-yard sewage tanks overflow when it rains, releasing fecal bacteria and other contaminants that transform patches of tropical paradise into toxic swamps that kill fish and sicken people.