43
Two storms recently caused some Girard residents sewage headaches
Homeowners urged to install sump pumps
GIRARD
Joe Turner spent a week removing sewage water that flooded the basement of his North Ward Avenue home on Labor Day after heavy rains.
Every day after work, he had to clean and disinfect the basement.
The smell was so strong, he and his wife, April, had to light candles throughout the house to dissipate the stench.
“It’s so gross. It smells so bad, you almost can’t take it,” he said.
A week later, more rain hit the area, and he was back at square one. There was about 2 feet of sewage in his basement, he said.
City officials have been in contact with homeowners who had issues after heavy rains. The city had engineers do a telescopic study to check if the sewage system lines were blocked. They determined they weren’t.
Mayor James Melfi said there were about 12 calls about sewage backup after the storms. He said heavy rains overload the wastewater system’s capacity, and he recommends homeowners install sump pumps and check valves to help prevent the issue.
Turner, however, says they have been dealing with this for about 10 years. Some years it won’t happen, but some years it happens twice a year, he said.
“It’s a pain in the butt,” he said. “Raw sewage shouldn’t be flooding into our homes.”
After a couple feet of sewage flooded their basement years ago and ruined some of their belongings, Turner said they adjusted and began elevating their property and got insurance that covers sewage backups. But it has been expensive buying cleaning products and replacing things that are ruined by sewage, he said.
After the two incidents this month, he said he may have to replace his washer and dryer.
Last week, Donna Stasko of East Liberty Street told city council members sewage ruined her remodeled basement on Labor Day, then last weekend there was flooding in the basement.
The bill to restore her basement was more than $4,500, she said, and some neighbors had the same problem.
At the council meeting, Melfi told her there was three times the amount of rain the wastewater system could handle on Labor Day, and some homes were built in areas that are more susceptible to flooding.
“There’s nothing worse than sewer, other than fire. It’s a miserable situation. We were down this road over 15 years ago. We are going to see if there’s a permanent remedy,” the mayor said, adding city officials couldn’t promise it won’t happen again.