Elgin groups seeks flood solution

Residents in one Elgin neighborhood want the city to up the ante on a grant program designed to prevent sewage backups.

Flooding problems reached a critical mass last week for the South West Area Neighbors (SWAN) neighborhood.

Mike and Erin Curtin's basement was inundated with about 1,300 gallons of sewage.

The couple, who live in the 400 block of Elm Street, not only had to clean it up; they need to replace their washing machine.

"Flooding in our area has gotten progressively worse," Mike Curtin said.

The Curtins and other SWAN members asked the city to increase from 50 percent to 100 percent its share of an "overhead sewer" grant program.

An overhead sewer is standard with new construction, but retrofitting the pipe into the basement of an older home can cost up to $10,000.

Under the city's program now, a homeowner can get reimbursed for half, up to $5,000.

So if a project costs $8,000, the city pays for $4,000.

Cheryl Graves, a 12-year resident, said the city needs to do more to help residents in flood prone areas. She contrasted the city spending millions on the downtown streetscape with the lack of action in neighborhoods.

"Your worrying about jewelry when your foundation has problems," she told council members.

SWAN President Charlene Sligting said Elm, Wheelock, Adams and Orange streets have been hit particularly hard by flooding.

Sligting believes the city should increase its share of the grant to 100 percent because residents in her neighborhood have been hit with thousands of dollars worth of damage from floods already.

It appears as though the grant program might be the best solution to the area's flooding foes.

David Lawry, the city's general services manager, said older portions of the city, such as SWAN, have both sanitary waste and storm runoff collected and combined into one sewer pipe.

Newer subdivisions have two sets of underground pipes, which makes them less prone to flooding.

It would cost about $160 million to lay two new sets of pipes throughout affected neighborhoods, Lawry said.