LEWISTON, N.Y. (WKBW) — Lewiston residents dealing with raw sewage backups say a new town grant program falls short of addressing the underlying problem.
Lewiston homeowners explained heavy rain sends raw sewage into their basements, costing some tens of thousands of dollars in damage. The town is now offering grants of up to $2,500 to help pay for backflow preventers but residents say the real problem is failing infrastructure.
Michael Hall has spent close to $30,000 trying to address flooding at his home.
"Several flooding problems. A lot of the sanitary sewer. There's too much water out on the street, it backs up in the sanitary sewer, which it shouldn't, and then we get a flood in our basement of raw sewage," Hall said.
Hall is not alone. Several Lewiston homeowners say they have experienced flooding and damage to their properties.
The town's grant program offers up to $2,500 for homeowners in flooding areas. Town Supervisor Steve Broderick said the money can help pay for a backflow preventer, a device that keeps sewage from backing up into a home, but a licensed plumber must install it.
Broderick said there are limits to the town's responsibility under the program.
"What that's meant to do is protect the town from the backflow preventer if anything happened with the backflow preventer. If the backflow preventer failed or anything like that, it's not the town's responsibility. We're providing the grant towards it. There's some maintenance on the homeowners that needs to be done every few months, cleaning it out, and that needs to be done, and the town can't be held liable if it's not done," Broderick said.
Residents say they appreciate the help but argue it does not address the root of the problem.
Sharon K. Bland, a fourth-generation Lewiston resident, said the flooding is affecting property values.
"If your property is flooding and your infrastructure is not working and you've got radioactive waste and sewer coming onto your property, it's pretty sure you're not going to be able to sell it for top value," Bland said.
Nancy Dearing, who has lived in Lewiston for more than 35 years, said her home bears the worst of the flooding.
"I am the lowest-lying home. So I get the brunt of the flooding. My yard becomes a lake, truly. It has rotted out the floor of my shop or shed," Dearing said.
Monday night, the town board voted to create two positions for a ditch division. But ahead of the vote, Bland questioned whether the town has been properly maintaining its existing infrastructure.
"We've been paying tax dollars for decades and decades to clean our ditches, so before you decide to allocate hundreds of thousands of dollars to a new department and new employees, where did our infrastructure dollars go? Why are our ditches not being maintained?" Bland said.
Linda Scalzo, a 10-year Lewiston resident, said the financial burden extends beyond her own situation.
"I am no longer standing here for myself. I am standing here for residents who can't afford the thousands of dollars in plumbing modifications. I am standing here for the elderly residents on fixed incomes, and I'm standing here for young families that cannot absorb $10,000 $20,000 and $30,000 expenses to fix the system," Scalzo said.
Bland added that residents can sign a petition through a Change.org link here.
Residents can also login with the State website to record damages here.
Join the Niagara County Community News Facebook group to connect with neighbors and learn about what's happening in your community.
