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At this week's city council meeting, Mayor Dick Stratman noted that the sanitary sewer system normally carries a daily flow of 2.5 million gallons. Following the Sept. 20 sudden storm, which dropped close to 5 inches of rain in less than two hours, the city had 14 million gallons of water recorded at the treatment plant.
"The sewers were overwhelmed. We don't have a sewer system with the capacity to handle 14 million gallons. Nobody has," Stratman said.
Pat Smith, Union, complained to the council that a rental home she owns at Eighth and Cedar streets had 4 inches of sewer water in the basement. Her tenant had to pay $3,000 to clean out the basement and lost a large amount of furniture, she said.
Smith said she contacted City Clerk Brenda Mitchell about the incident. Even though she did not file a claim for damages, Smith said she received a letter from the city's insurance carrier, MIRMA, denying her claim and noting that the damage was due to an act of God.
"That was no act of God. God may have brought the rain but it was your sewers that caused the problem," she told the council.
A week after the backup, a city maintenance crew was out there cleaning out the sewer line, Smith said. "Why not before the storm?"
Smith said five houses at that intersection experienced sewer backups. When the home she owns was flooded 1 1/2 years ago, Smith said she filed a claim and also was told "it was an act of God."
"This is not right. You need to do something," Smith told the council. She threatened to contact a St. Louis television station if something isn't done and to file suit. "I'll spend every dime I've got suing the city," she said.
During a severe storm and flash flooding, the only thing that will protect a basement from flooding is a backflow preventer valve, which blocks the lateral sewer line to the home when sewage backs up in the main line, it was explained.
A number of years ago, the city provided grants for backflow valves to homeowners in Dawn Valley Subdivision following the devastating May 2000 flash floods.
Kevin Quaethem, water and sewer superintendent, said backflow valves now have an improved design for easier maintenance. The valves do a great job keeping sewer water out of a basement, but they must be cleaned out and maintained, he explained.
"At Eighth and Cedar we have a lot infiltration and inflow in sewer lines," Quaethem said. The plan is to contract with Insituform to clean out and install liners in many of those lines. He said it takes the company about three months to line up a job.
The process of lining old sewer lines began years ago and will be an ongoing process, Quaethem said. "We'll continue with this. It will be a yearly plan."
Stratman noted that there is money in the city's stormwater management fund for grants for backflow valves.
Brian Boehmer, assistant city administrator, said the city staff will map out plans for the areas where problems have occurred and report back to the council.
Meanwhile, Boehmer told Smith that he would be happy to meet with her and work on resubmitting her claim to MIRMA.
