Raw Sewage Leaks Into LI Home

Raw Sewage Leaks Into LI Home

www.wpix.com

ALBERTSON, N.Y. (WPIX) - One Long Island woman claims raw sewage that began leaking into her home in Albertson has destroyed her basement.

Kathy Byagari noticed brown water bubbling up from her basement toilet and shower Saturday afternoon. Not knowing it was raw sewage, her children started a bucket brigade and began taking the filthy water up the stairs and emptying it outside.

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I think this is relevant as I see the insurance company being just as bad as the health insurance companies. The fact that this poor woman gets no compensation for what was the city's fault is crazy.

We know that many of the sewers in major cities are old and need to be upgraded to meet the demand of growing populations, and this situation has happened before that I am aware of.

What are your thoughts?

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(visit the link for the full news article)

Originally posted by Happyfeet


What are your thoughts?

my first thought was "EEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW"

Plus I've often wondered what would happen if you were IN the shower when the sewer started backing up...bleh....

Why would it do that? I mean only ways i can see raw seweage backing up.is if they have septic tank and wasnt emptied, obviouslt after its ful mark* or the main lines were backed up wth god knows what...kids flushed an entire 24 pack o toilet tissue downt he drain? They used the main lines as a garbage can? could be tree roots have grown around and into the pipe and collapsed it. or enough bacteria built up along the walls of the pipes, somewhere in the main line. could be anyting really.

Originally posted by ziggy1706
Why would it do that? I mean only ways i can see raw seweage backing up.

Back pressure to a low point in the lines. If the flow is hindered at a choke point like a valve or water treatment plant, water being flushed from higher parts of town create flooring in the lower parts of town. Some houses even go so far as to have one way valves on the sewers that I am aware of.

perhaps a plumber could comment and share more insight and detail.

My shop was recently flooded by a similar circumstance. The city's main blocked up down the line. This went without notice due to it being down hill from the business strip. That was on a sunday night. Come monday morning the businesses opened and started to use the sewer system. The system backed up and came in my bathroom floor drain and flooded my studio and the movie theater next door. The city made it in time to save the other businesses. They ran a Jet something or other to clear the line. Total clean up between my studio and the theater was NINE thousand Dollars. The city stated they will more than likely pay the bill. Luckily I lease my studio from the people that own the theater so I experienced no cost except for a week of down time. Most cities will not pay and nor will their insurance companies. My city is an exception due to it being a smaller town.

I suffered a similar problem only a few weeks ago. My house is 200 y/o and the plumbing equally as ancient. One of my neighbours had flushed "baby wipes" down her toilet & it had blocked the sewer pipe in the street. And as every one else was flushing their toilet, it backed up into mine and exploded all over the bathroom.

A shame we were away that weekend otherwise we'd have attended to it sooner. The bathroom had to be seen to be believed., rather like an explosion in a brown paint factory ... with bits ... ugh. Turns my stomach.

However the water company guys came out immediately unblocked the sewer. A few hours later their cleaning squad arrived and cleaned the bathroom from top to bottom. And last week we received a cheque for £139 to compensate us for the inconvenience so ... I'm happy.

Of course none of the neighbours admitted anything ... "it wasn't us" ... *sigh*

My parents had something simular to this about 15 years ago (although not nearly as bad).

What happened is there is a kind of junction in the sewerage pipes, one runs under all the back gardens further up the hill and another joins from somewhere else - some idiot further up the hill was putting anything and everything down there (nappies, plastic all sorts).

There was a smell that got increasingly worse over a few days, and then it actually started coming up through the kitchen floor! (ewwww BTW).

Anyways long story short the insurance covered it, it was all sorted out very quickly and then the insurance company did some investigating and made their own claims against some of the people up the hill (now idea how that turned out).

A few years back the insurance again had to pay out for more work to be done, part of it collapsed - don't know if that's related, but the insurance has more than held up their end of the deal (odd that! - usually you get at least some hassle from them).

Originally posted by Happyfeet
The fact that this poor woman gets no compensation for what was the city's fault is crazy.

Usually the city/county will take blame and pay for the sewer backup cleaning in homes when it is their fault.

My family owns a restoration business and has been called in many times to "clean up the mess" and either the city or the county paid for the cleanup, (as long as it was their fault).