Basements Backed Up Near Conner Creek CSO

[mam2009]

Has the been any official word from DWSD on what happened over here on the east side on Wednesday that caused soooo many basements to get backed up with sewer water. My neighbor has lived here for 16 years and said this has never happened before. Was there a malfunction at the CSO/RTB? I know we got a lot of rain, but we've gotten a lot of rain before. Have I missed stories on this by the newspapers or broadcast media? We're about a mile away from Conner Creek.

[Danny]

That is why your basements need sump pumps.

[Corn.Bot]

My family has lived on the east side of Detroit and the close 'burbs up Gratiot since the 1920s. I never heard of a flooded basement except for the one legendary event - I was an infant - when my grandparents' house in East Detroit, bordering St. Clair Shores, got water in the basement. According to my aunt [[Berneatta), it was not rain but the SCS water dept that had 'turned something on or off' that caused that flood back in 1954 or '55 or so.... my bro found a Macomb Daily pic. What a hoot to see my old aunt looking so 50s hot. LOL BTW she still irons everything.

Of course, I don't remember ever receiving as much rain at one time as we have in the last few years. "5 inches of rain" was something one heard about Louisiana getting, not Michigan.

[lilpup]

I know we got a lot of rain, but we've gotten a lot of rain before. Have I missed stories on this by the newspapers or broadcast media? We're about a mile away from Conner Creek.

This has been the wettest spring on record for most of the area. The creeks and drains are getting their revenge.

[Danny]

Here's a rule DON'T LIVE TOO CLOSE TO THE WATER!

[Maof]

That is why your basements need sump pumps.

couldn't agree more danny, and a back-up too. i grew up in harper woods and we had two rounds of the basement flooding. much of that area, i was told, was built on swampy land.

[Maof]

corn.bot..very cute picture of aunt berneatta. she looks likes she's making the best of it

[Jimaz]

LOL Saddle shoes.

[MidTownMs]

Here's a rule DON'T LIVE TOO CLOSE TO THE WATER!

Unless you live in a highrise....

[East Detroit]

That is why your basements need sump pumps.

My street prophets just reported to me that sump pumps aren't for sewer water backups.

[mam2009]

Here's a rule DON'T LIVE TOO CLOSE TO THE WATER!

I suspect that the sewage in our basements had little to do with our proximity to the river. We did not experience flooded streets over here. Everyone got a sudden swell of sewer water in their basements that then subsided relatively quickly.

And for anyone unfamiliar with the abbreviations CSO & RTB, I apologize for not listing them in my initial post. My neighborhood is within a mile or so radius of DWSD's Conner Creek Combined Sewer Overflow Retaining Treatment Basin. My general understanding of the facility is that it operates in cases of heavy rainfall [[or snowmelt) to retain the rainwater and sewage yuck until it can be chemically sanitized and emptied into the Detroit river. Thank God for the folks who perform such a vital function that many of us dont give a thought to. But I'm trying to figure out if what happened on Thursday was a problem at the plant or what?

[detroitjim]

Hopefully everyone that experienced any damage has documented it via photos and have receipts.

They should submit claims against the DWSD.

Don't believe their BS when they try to tell you it was an AOG.

[lilpup]

I'm trying to figure out if what happened on Thursday was a problem at the plant or what?

It's entirely possible that the retention basin overflowed with all the rain we've had, especially if all your streets are draining well [[which means the system is having to deal with that much more water all at once). The streets are higher than your basement so any overflow will be seen in your basement first.

[Buy American]

I lived in the 7 Mile and Hayes area back in the 70's. We had a rain event like last week and our basement as well as many others flooded about a foot or more. Come to find out that no one from the City of Detroit, Conner Creek Pumping Station opened some sort of flood gates and the water backed up. Of course, the City denied any responsibility for the "human" error.

[mikefmich]

couldn't agree more danny, and a back-up too. i grew up in harper woods and we had two rounds of the basement flooding. much of that area, i was told, was built on swampy land.

It was gigi pad goo goo slimey grey clay plus the swamp part. Eastland was a woods/swamp before they built it.

Any bad rain in the early to mid-50's in HW, you were almost guaranteed to get some water up from your basement floor sewers......at least where I lived.

Also true for GPW & the earlier Shores.

When were you in HW Maof?

[MikeM]

And for anyone unfamiliar with the abbreviations CSO & RTB, I apologize for not listing them in my initial post. My neighborhood is within a mile or so radius of DWSD's Conner Creek Combined Sewer Overflow Retaining Treatment Basin. My general understanding of the facility is that it operates in cases of heavy rainfall [[or snowmelt) to retain the rainwater and sewage yuck until it can be chemically sanitized and emptied into the Detroit river. Thank God for the folks who perform such a vital function that many of us dont give a thought to. But I'm trying to figure out if what happened on Thursday was a problem at the plant or what?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq_-Q...er_profilepage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nccb...er_profilepage

[MikeM]

I suspect that the sewage in our basements had little to do with our proximity to the river. We did not experience flooded streets over here. Everyone got a sudden swell of sewer water in their basements that then subsided relatively quickly.

Your proximity to the river means you are on low ground and any brief backup at the pumping stations [[Conner Creek or Freud) might have caused the sewage backup in your sewer lines. Homes on higher ground could experience the same thing but it would take longer for the sewer lines to fill to capacity before it appears in their basements.

[Jimaz]

Whatever you do, don't piss off Harry Tuttle.

Harry Wastes Central Services

[MikeM]

Hopefully everyone that experienced any damage has documented it via photos and have receipts.

They should submit claims against the DWSD.

Don't believe their BS when they try to tell you it was an AOG.

BTW,

In 2001, the Michigan Legislature passed PA 222, which creates an exception to the protections afforded to a governmental agency against liability arising from damages caused due to a "Sewage Disposal system event."


Sewage Disposal System Event - is defined by the statute as: The overflow or backup of a sewage disposal system onto real property.


If you experience a "sewage disposal system event" you, must file a claim in writing to the governmental agency within 45 days of your discovery of an event. The claim must include:

• your name,
• address and phone number
• address of affected property
• date of discovery of any property damages or physical injuries
• a brief description of the claim

Please note that failure to file a written claim with 45 days may waive your right to further action.

CLAIM REQUIREMENTS

A claimant may seek compensation for property damage or personal injury by showing all of the following existed at the time of the event:

• the governmental agency was an appropriate government agency.
• the sewage disposal system had a defect
• the governmental agency knew, or in the exercise of reasonable diligence, should have known about the defect.
• the governmental agency, having the legal authority to do so, failed to take reasonable steps to remedy the defect in a reasonable time
• the defect was a substantial proximate cause of the event and the property damage or physical injury

http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government...dc_act222_form

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/docume...01-PA-0222.pdf

[mam2009]

^^^ Thanks, MikeM! That was very helpful info!