Old sewer pipes bring costly inconveniences

The couple have not had full use of their plumbing for nearly a month.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
SEBRING -- When the mud dries and the dust settles in his back yard, Cliff Hayes will be left with a $20,000 bill to fix a nearly 100-year-old problem.
Hayes' message: Anyone buying an older home should know the infrastructure of that community before finalizing a purchase.
"Anyone looking to buy a house should pay to have the sewer lines inspected," he said. "Get somebody to put a camera down there."
Failing pipes in a sewer system installed in the early 1900s resulted in $8,000 in repairs in Hayes' basement, and likely $12,000 more for work outside, on lateral lines that are on private rather than city property.
Nearly a month ago, Hayes began having problems with the sewage system in his home.
Tree roots and deteriorating clay sewage pipes outside clogged the lines so badly, the sewage backed up in his basement and broke the pipes indoors.
After the sewer pipes broke in the basement, Hayes and his wife spent about two weeks taking dishpan baths, dining out or eating microwaved food or take-out off of paper plates. They often walked about four blocks to use public restrooms.
Tried to get help
Hayes is an active veterans' advocate and travels often to Washington, D.C., and other locations for meetings. He put his advocacy skills to work trying to help his own cause.
While plumbers made repairs in the basement and checked the outside lines by running cameras through them, Hayes made countless phone calls, trying to get help.
Plumbers dug up Hayes' back yard and that of a neighbor. The problem found was that the clay sewage pipes installed in the early 1900s were collapsing because of age and also breaking because of tree roots.
The design of the lines proved to be an even bigger problem. Instead of his home and those of his neighbors having a single line from each house directly to a main sewer line, the three houses in Hayes' block share a lateral sewer line that runs through their back yards into the main sewer line under Vermont Street.
After calls to several legislators, including U.S. Rep Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, Hayes thought he might be eligible for grants or loans from United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development. Hayes made a trip to Massillon to apply, but learned he didn't qualify because with his full-disability veterans pay and other benefits, he is over the income guidelines for the program.
What's available
Hayes had to seek private financing to pay for repairs, but he said other fixed-income or low-income residents who have similar problems may qualify, yet not be aware of the funding. Depending on income and needs, people can receive low-interest loans or grants for major home repairs, he said.
A Medal of Honor winner he heard speak at a veterans' meeting encouraged veterans to help themselves by being vocal about their situations.
"Government is supposed to serve the people, not the other way around," Hayes said. "You don't know what you might be able to get if you don't ask."