New research suggests that “pathogenic, drug-resistant bacteria could pose a threat to people living in homes with sewage overflows.” CIDRAP has the news.
The research found that Enterococcus bacteria were “present in nearly half (46%) of 86 Maryland homes that had sewage backups from clogged, broken, or overwhelmed pipes from October 2023 to June 2025. Analysis of sewage water samples found that multidrug-resistant (MDR) enterococci were present in 12% of the homes with backups.”
Many species of the more than 60 recognized enterococci species don’t pose a threat to people. However, two species have become “leading causes of healthcare-related infections, with intrinsic resistance to some antibiotics and acquired resistance to others.” The two species, E faecalis and E faecium, were present in 21% and 27% of the homes with enterococci present respectively.
The presence of enterococci bacteria was “significantly higher (62%) in homes with recent sewage or water events (within the past month), and homes with more recent sewage overflows were three times as likely to have MDR enterococci present, though the researchers said this could have been by chance.”
The authors say they are “concerned that more people could be exposed to potentially pathogenic bacteria as extreme weather events, like floods, become more common and sewer systems continue to age.”
