most problems. reporter: were you concerned about her health. yes, very. reporter: untreated sewage can lead to bacterial infections and intestinal parasites. the only solution is a new system, but the hard clay soil here requires specially designed septic systems that can cause as much as a median household income in lowndes county, alabama. with the brown car. ick house. reporter: which is why sherry bradley of the alabama department of public health and perman hardy are taking matters into their own hands. this is the first meeting to have the black elt unincorporated waste water program. reporter: bradley and hardy raised $700,000 in donations to install working systems. qualifying residents make a one-time down payment, then pay a $20 monthly fee. every time it rains, people they know what might happen, they know that sewage may shoot out and come back in the house. reporter: that sort of damage does that do? i can t imagine. i just can t imagine.