Down the Drain

Gould said the experience of the past three years has left him deeply cynical about county officials. "Their belief is that if you're just an average citizen making a beef, you won't have the resources or energy to follow up," Gould said. "They know you're going to be overwhelmed by other things and that you'll eventually go away. That's exactly what they want. Once that happens, they don't have to deal with you anymore."

Tillery agreed, but lest officials think otherwise, she was quick to point out that neither she nor her fiance has any plans to stop agitating for stricter enforcement of pollution laws. "This is our livelihood, and we have nothing but time on our hands," she promised. "We're not going anywhere."