Residents seek solution to sewer backups
By Andy Karr NDN Editor
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Storms are an apprehensive time for some of the homeowners in the Callison Park neighborhood in southwest Newton. That’s because rainwater infiltration into the sewer system has caused a number of sewer backups in the basements of homes. Those backups have increased in recent years and residents are seeking a solution to the problem.
“We spent tremendous amount of hours, tremendous amount of money, to try to clean it up and get it disinfected,” Judy Nunnikhoven told Newton City Council on Monday as she talked about dealing with sewage backing up into her basement. “Hauling out carpets that had been soaked with sewage — we don’t ever want to see this happen again.”
Judy and Dave Nunnikhoven, who reside in the 300 block of West Ninth Street South, collected a list of roughly a dozen homes in their neighborhood that experienced sewer backups during 2007-2008 and presented it to the city. Some residents fear that the backups make their homes unsellable and essentially worthless.
“This comes up from the floor at such a rate that a sump pump absolutely can never keep up with it,” Nunnikhoven said. “That’s how serious it really is. I mean, it just comes bubbling up.”
Last year, the city hired Fox Engineering to update its wastewater Facility Plan Update. The engineering firm indicated that the sewer system in that area did not have adequate capacity to handle peak flow during heavy rain storms.
The city could construct a parallel sewer system and lift station at an estimated cost of $3.4 million to alleviate the problem — a hefty price tag for the city, which is dealing with cutbacks in the midst of a tight budget.
“In the CIP plan, I believe there is a plan or plans to upgrade that entire sewer system. However looking at our budgetary issues and problems, it is not feasible at this time,” council member Dennis Julius said.
Two other options for the city to pursue is have homeowners install check valves to prevent the back flow, although this can pass the problem along to another residence. The city also could attempt to reduce the amount of rainwater inflow and infiltration into the system to keep the backups from occurring.
“If I were a property owner in that area or any area where I’m getting back up into my home, I wouldn’t hesitate to put in a check valve,” council member Steve Mullan said, further
noting a check valve “doesn’t placate the situation any, outside of the fact that you pass the problem on to others down the road. You’re putting pressure somewhere else. At some point, there’s got to be some action taken. What we do is the issue.”
Residents from that neighborhood appeared at the Newton City Council meeting Monday evening to voice their concerns over the recurring problem. Nunnikhoven said she called the city before the last heavy rainfall and that city workers spent hours pumping sewage out of the line to make sure nothing backed up into residential basements.
Shari Keninger, who lives on West 10th Street South, said she and her neighbors want to see a long term solution to the problem, not just put in check valve after check valve.
“The check valve at our cost is a cost to us to make it somebody else’s problem. Plus it’s asking us to put the money for something that is a city issue,” she said.
Council member Mike Hansen advocated a study of how the rainwater was infiltrating the system so the city could pursue mitigating that problem
“It seems to me that before this council can make a decision on how it might address and help that area, that we need to have a more definitive inspection in that area,” he said.
Ultimately council chose to pursue a study to analyze how rainwater is infiltrating the system and will offer help for the neighborhood during significant rain events.
The council also discussed the Maytag Bowl renovation, opting to set next Monday as a date for a special meeting on the matter.
“People are willing to donate their time, their money to make this happen,” Allen said. “As I delivered pizzas (for a fundraiser) people had varying opinions on what they wanted to see, but they wanted to see the Maytag Bowl and the Maytag Park restored.”
To get a better of idea which direction to proceed with the project, council will meet on May 11 at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers to discuss the program and receive input from citizens.
Also last night:
• Council reduced the number of firefighter positions in the city by three. All three of those positions will be lost through attrition.
• Council opted to purchase a copy machine from Premier Office Equipment in Marshalltown for $3,500, following a debate about whether to pay $4,200 for a copier from locally owned Forbes. Ultimately council voted 5-1 to accept the Marshalltown bid, with Hansen voting against.
Andy Karr can be contacted at 792-3121 ext. 434 or via e-mail at akarr@newtondailynews.com.
