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The Conestee Dam in Greenville is showing it's age. It was only meant to last around 50 years, and it is now 130 years old. Experts say that it is crumbling and cracking. The problem is that it is holding back millions of tons of toxic waste and sewage dumped in the water by businesses before legislation was passed to prevent it.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control says the water is dangerously polluted. If the dam breaks, lawmakers say it would cause billions in property damage, not to mention the danger to lives, health, and the environment.
The problem has been acknowledged for years. The issue is that the recommended solution is building another dam in front of the old one. The new dam would take three years to build, and it would cost $47.5 million to get started, which no one has.
You can see the full news report in the video below.