ERIE COUNTY — Residents in the Birchwood area of Perkins Township, just outside Sandusky, say they are fed up with repeated water and sewage backups that have caused thousands of dollars in damage to their homes.
Mike Smith has lived on Birchwood Drive for six years. He said the problems began after heavy rain events, when an overloaded sewer system sent water and sewage back into homes in the area.
Smith said the flooding stems from how neighboring homes are connected to the main drain.
"A lot of people are tied into the main drain with their sump pump, so when it rains hard it overflows because their sump pumps drain right into their main sewer line. And we are the lowest point in the first house of contact," Smith said.
The result has been severe flooding inside his home.
"We’ve had 2 feet of water in our basement, which is our master bedroom. It floods 6 or 8 inches up into our second floor, where we have a main bathroom and it fills our tub and toilet,” Smith said.
Smith said the damage from one flooding event alone cost his family $26,000 out of pocket to repair.
Neighbor Jodie Peterman said the stress of living with the threat of flooding has become a constant burden.
"You can't sleep when it rains because you're worried about your house flooding and I know that’s not only our family feeling this way," Peterman said.
Smith said he has contacted both Erie County and state officials seeking financial assistance but has been told the responsibility falls on homeowners.
According to an invoice Smith provided, it would cost him $15,000 to purchase the equipment needed to protect his home from future backups. Neighbors say they should not have to bear that cost.
"I just feel like if it's a whole street of people that are having issues and have had issues in the past with water and sewer backup, then the county should be taking more accountability and doing something about it," Peterman said.
Perkins Township, when contacted for comment, said Erie County is responsible for water and sewer in the area. I then called Erie County officials, and they said a response will come within a few days.
