Monday, Jan 21 2013 3:28PM

Residents in the Lower San Joaquin Valley may face health risks due to polluted water supplies.

Residents in lower San Joaquin Valley, California, argue that a high exposure of human sewage is the cause of severe health problems many in the rural city are suffering.

The area is part of a large farming community that produces a number of the nation's crops. As a result, most of the wastewater services in Los Angeles county deposit the treated sewage of 5 million people into the lower valley for composting purposes, according to the Sacramento Bee.

In 2011, the University of California - Davis published a study about the negative health impact of this practice on lower valley residents, some of whom have suffered miscarriages or had children born with defects.

"When somebody flushes a toilet in Los Angeles County, it will end up in Kings County," Jonathan London of UC - Davis told the newspaper.

In addition to pollution from the sewage, the newspaper also reports that many residents lack access to clean water system services, and instead must rely on the tainted groundwater that flows through their homes. More Los Angeles counties may also have the option of depositing sludge - which is the remnants of treated sewage - into the lower valley in the future.

Although federal agencies provide a great deal of funding to help preserve freshwater resources and construct water plants, disputes over sewage and water pollution are typically resolved in state court rooms, rather than through federal outlets.

For more information, check out this resource: The Sacramento Bee