By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
A property owner’s claim against the Village of Waterford for a sewer backup could be denied, based on a recommendation by the Public Works Utilities Committee.
On Monday, committee members followed the advice of legal counsel, the village’s insurance provider and Public Works Director Jeff Dolezal to deny a claim filed by property owners at 706 E. Main St.
According to documentation, there was a sewage backup at the property, a private residence, on Feb. 1. More than two months later, on April 8, the village received a claim from the property owner’s insurance company about the incident.
Dolezal described the back-up as “an unusual situation,” pointing out that there is an illegal connection to the sanitary system within the basement of the home that will need to be remedied.
After learning of the problems, Dolezal said he reviewed the area in question and learned there were remnants of tissues and rags and are linked the blockage. He described his discovery as “a big clump” of items.
“When we have these kinds of situations, I try and document as much as I can,” Dolezal said to the committee. “This is an older sewer. There are some issues, but there’s nothing glaring that needs immediate remediation.”
Dolezal said there are not any issues with tree roots or other vegetation encroaching on the existing sewer lines along Main St. He also inspected the area for other natural items, including rocks, that could have caused blockage but did not come up with any such materials.
Municipalities across the country have reported issues with various items causing backups in either the sanitary sewer or storm water systems.
So-called flushable wipes, for example, have caused problems in some systems because they do not break down nearly as quickly as traditional toilet paper. Some municipalities, including the Village of Thiensville in Ozaukee County, are calling on residents not to use such materials.
“You’d be surprised what people try and flush down the toilet,” Dolezal said. “There are a lot of things that simply don’t break down. There’s a lot of non-biodegradable material winding up in the sewer system.”
Several committee members, including Trustee Stephen Denman, questioned the sequence of events, pointing out the nine-week stretch between the incident itself and the village’s receipt of the claim.
“My main issue is the timing,” Denman said.
Dolezal said water was discovered in the basement of the home on the property and pointed out there had been past instances of backups on the home that were related to clear storm water.
The committee’s recommendation will be forwarded on to the full Village Board, which will act on the claim denial at their next regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. this Monday, April 22.
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