Batavia survey details the where, why of flooding in June storm
On an extra-rainy June 15, three inches of rain fell in less than two hours on already soaked Batavia.
And then city officials received a deluge of calls - at least 250 - from residents and business owners about buildings flooded with stormwater and sewage. Many were from people whose properties had never flooded before.
Now, the city has identified problems in 12 areas, and at least $6.56 million worth of work to fix them, according to a report presented Tuesday to the city council.
In June, the city sent 10,624 surveys in its paper utility bills and 1,100 were returned.
Customers were asked how long they had occupied the building; whether it had flooded during heavy rains in 1996, 2008, 2013 and this June; whether it had flooded at any other time; and whether the water and sewage came up from floor drains and plumbing fixtures, through cracks in foundations and walls, overland through windows and doors, or if a sump pump had been overwhelmed or failed.
According to the report, 355 of the respondents had flooding in crawl spaces or basements on June 15. Of those, 105 had taken on water for the first time, and 116 had flooded before. The rest didn't answer the question.
Respondents had occupied their buildings between one and 56 years.
Fifty-six had a sump pump that could not keep up with the rain, and some of the pumps burned out. Fifty-five did not have a sump pump.
Nine reported taking on 10 or more inches of water.
Seventeen streets had five or more houses reporting problems. Top on the list were Jackson and Morton streets, with 11 homes each.
Problem spots
The report outlines 13 projects the city could do to reduce flooding.
In three neighborhoods, it would help if combined storm sewers and sanitary sewers were separated. Work has begun in one area where roads are being resurfaced this year. Another area, along Main Street, would have some sewers separated during the reconstruction of Main Street.
And for the Carriage Crest subdivision, it would help if the city would put in a lift station to pump water automatically out of a detention pond that is lower than main sewer lines. Engineers recommended doing this after the 2008 flood.
Projects range in cost from $10,000 to $1.68 million. And if all were done, they would affect 660 households.
"There are many projects on this list we can go out and do without any more engineering," Public Works Director Gary Holm told aldermen. But none are in consideration for the 2016 budget.
"It (the amount of work) is a good argument for a stormwater utility," Alderman Michael O'Brien said. The council has talked about establishing a stormwater utility fund, perhaps funded by a monthly charge for stormwater sewer service, instead of paying for the work out of the general fund. A consultant's report recommended the city spend another $1 million a year - three times as much as it does now - to improve its stormwater sewer service.