lowndes county is in one of the most neglected corners of the country. his majority-black county is double the national average. cell phone service is a luxury, and so, incredibly, is sewage treatment. like most states, alabama requires sanitary sewage disposal. but outside a handful of small towns here, sewage treatment is not provided, and for many people, private systems, usually a septic tank, are unaffordable. ( bird chirping ) it's a public health crisis-- one community advocate catherine coleman flowers has been raising hell about for 20 years. >> catherine coleman flowers: we don't expect this to be an "us" problem. >> whitaker: is it just the woods behind your house? >> coleman flowers: yes, sir. >> whitaker: she took us to emma scott's home deep in the woods, where even light rain can create pools of fetid waste. when we arrived, the smell of raw sewage hung heavy in the air. this is the runoff from your house? >> emma scott: yes, sir. >> whitaker: and it just empties right into this little drainage area in your backyard? >> scott: yes, sir. >>