But there are hidden problems as well, and a story in Sunday’s Post described a serious one: aging sewer systems that can’t handle the added loads being placed on them. Last year, these faulty sewer systems leaked 136 million gallons of wastewater across North Carolina, and they are certain to exceed that total this year.

The problem is that many municipalities, especially fast-growing smaller towns like China Grove, are caught among competing infrastructure needs. They need to repair aging sewer systems and expand them at the same time, while also often dealing with demands for new schools, new roads and improved police and fire services. The underground problems end up getting the least attention.

To help remedy the problem, voters approved the 1998 Clean Water Bond, which provided for $600 million in grants and low-interest water and sewer loans to municipalities. Unfortunately, there’s more demand than available dollars, as China Grove and East Spencer discovered recently when their grant requests were denied.

While the state has a responsibility to provide as much aid as it can, local governments must bear the burden for maintaining sound sewage systems. In the rush to expand tax bases, there’s a tendency to push systems beyond capacity in the belief that new growth will generate additional revenues faster than it generates sewage.

But delaying repairs is always more costly in the long run, both to taxpayers and to the environment. Local officials need the self-discipline both to make sewage systems maintenance a priority, and to restrain additional hookups until the system has the capacity to handle them.

One promising strategy that more municipalities should explore is consolidation of water and sewer services. Locally, Spencer stands to save more than $3 million by partnering with Salisbury’s water system. While China Grove suffers with leaky pipes, it ships its wastewater to Salisbury’s treatment plant, avoiding the cost of maintaining a separate facility. By taking a more unified approach, municipalities can provide better service, at less expense.

With the state’s population boom expected to continue through the decade, local and state officials need to focus more attention on providing longterm solutions to sewage problems.