PICTURE: South FL dumps 'partially-treated' human waste offshore

Pompano Beach, FL — Since the 1970’s, south Florida has been dumping partially-treated human waste by the billions of gallons offshore, into the ocean.

It's only recently been brought up, though, because of a picture that's stirred a lot attention on Reddit.

The picture shows a scuba diver swimming right next to a barnacled-covered pipe, which is spewing out brown muck into the water.

Six plants shoot out that wastewater, releasing massive clouds of brown and cause the surface to look like it's boiling.

Environmental concerns spurred a 2008 state law to pass to end the regular use of the pipes by 2025.

Since then, two of them have almost entirely stopped flowing.

The other four are in Broward and Miami-Dade where millions of gallons are still pumped into the ocean each day.

According to the Department of Environmental Protection, treatment plants disinfect the sewage before it heads to the ocean but leave behind concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorous.

These chemicals are harmful to Florida’s many coral reefs.

But for Broward and Miami-Dade, complying with the 2025 deadline is a balancing act between meeting requirements and hiking utility rates.