Muscatine

I as well as others on my street have found this past weekend that we have backed up sewage in our basements due to the storms. I was told by someone that the city is responsible for things like that and need to be contacted to at least pay for the clean up of our basements. Does anyone know if that is true or not? I just put new carpet in my basement it has always been a dry basement and I understand that we had a lot of rain and it was to be some what expected to maybe have a little water in your basement, but the sewer backed up into my basement and has now destroyed my new carpet, all my children's toys in their play room, along with a few other little things. I am very lucky I hadn't moved all the furniture to the basement yet for our family room we are building down there. I am not expecting the city to replace anything lost, just to help cover the cost of the clean up. Is this possible? Does anyone know who I should call?

Thanks so much.

The city is responisible for the sewer at the point where it enters the street from your property.  The homeowner is responisible from the house to the street.  Since this was most likley causded by an "Act of God" I would expect that your homeowners insurance would cover that damage/cleanup. 

Who should you call, of course, SH*TBUSTERS I goosed a ghost once and got a handful of.............SHEET. On the serious side you can install backflow valves so that won't "happen" again.

You can call Randy Hill, Public Works Director, at 263-8933.  He is in charge of the sewer system.  It probably would be considered an "Act of God".  No sewer system has been constructed to handle the amount of water that went through it during this past rain event.  That's why they're spending millions of dollars to seperate the "Sanitary Sewers" from the "Storm Sewers" (Street run off).  I worked at the Water Pollution Control Plant (Wastewater Treatment Plant)(Sewer Plant), for 30+ years, until the end of 06.  Like someone said, have BACKFLOW PREVENTERS installed in your basement, and unless something else happens, you won't have THAT problem again!  I installed one AFTER the 93 flood, and didn't get a DROP of water in my basement from this past event!  ANY local plumber can do it, and believe me, it's WELL worth the expense of having it done professionally!  Tom Milder.