Mother’s Day sewer backup displaces four local families

MT. PLEASANT—A Mother’s Day sewer backup flooded rental units near 700 South and State Street, forcing four families out of their homes, according to property owner Philip Wood.

While the tenants have returned, Wood says payment for the damage, cleanup costs and ultimate responsibility for the incident remain unresolved.

The affected units in two adjacent fourplexes owned by Wood. Four of the eight units suffered extensive flooding.

Wood approached Mt. Pleasant City Council on May 12 to advocate for his displaced tenants, describing the severity of the backup. He reported that sewage and water forced its way up through low-point drains, with tenants witnessing “sewer fountains” shooting 6 inches high from 2-inch laundry room drains.

“I can show you 4 to 6 inches of water in bathtubs,” Wood later told the Sanpete Messenger. “The damage is extensive with a lot of overflow.”

The pressure was reportedly so intense that residents attempted to jam a towel down a pipe using a sprinkler key, only for the water to force the towel right back out.

Wood told the council the families were left “basically homeless” during the disruption. He requested permission from the city to place a temporary storage container on the property to hold tenants’ belongings during the cleanup.

Estimated repair costs have reached approximately $40,000, though Wood is still awaiting final bills. Remediation efforts involve cutting out and drying sheetrock, as well as replacing baseboards and carpeting.

“Carpet (has) got to come out,” Wood told the council. “Padding (has) got to come out. We don’t know yet if we’ve got ripples in the walls.”
The conflict on who is responsible centers on where the blockage that caused the flood occurred.

“My understanding is that the sewer line on the main is the city’s responsibility and ownership,” Wood explained to the council. “If the blockage is on the lateral, it’s the landowner’s responsibility.”

Wood told the Messenger that city camera footage verifies the blockage was in the city main not a lateral. To be certain, Wood hired an independent plumber to inspect his private line.

“My line didn’t have a single tree root in it,” he said.

Despite this, Wood claims the city is deflecting blame and suggesting residents waited too long to report the issue. Wood countered that he initially believed he was dealing with an isolated plumbing problem inside the units. He called the city when he needed the water shut off, and city crews arrived roughly two hours later to clear their line.

Wood pressed the council for a quick resolution, citing the imminent threat of mold if mitigation is delayed for two or three weeks.

Wood’s insurance provider stated that the damage is not covered under his policy because the sewage did not originate from his units. “As it did not come from my units… it falls on the city,” Wood said.

To build his case, Wood requested specific sewer maintenance records from the city, including logs and timecards.
“They can’t just say the east side of town,” Wood told the council. “They’ve got to be clear and precise.”

According to Wood, after the flood city crews used a “pressure pig” to clear roots from the line and returned the following day to cut them out, all without warning local residents.

Wood noted that during the high-pressure work, sewage violently shot out of a toilet at a nearby home on 100 East, reaching the ceiling while the bathroom was occupied.

When it was suggested that he install backflow preventers to avoid future incidents, Wood argued that it wouldn’t solve the underlying main-line issues. While a preventer might protect one unit, Wood notes it complicates line snaking and can simply push the backup to an upstream neighbor.

After consulting with other municipalities, Wood found that a common rule often applies, with cities maintaining main lines and property owners maintaining laterals. He believes Mt. Pleasant is attempting to bypass this standard due to the excessive cost of the damage.

“The main thing to highlight on this sewer issue is if a homeowner’s sewer backs up because they don’t maintain the main lines, it’s going to fall on the property owner,” Wood said.

Wood stated to the Messenger that he simply wants the city to clarify its main-line responsibilities and fairly address the damage to his tenants’ homes.