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I have had several contacts about flooding at homes in Monona that are not on Belle Isle. These folks are not sure what to do.
During regular work hours, anyone with flooding concerns should call City Hall at 222-2525 and ask for city engineer Rich Vela or leave a message (in this instance I would recommend leaving the message with live person in addition to voicemail). Outside of regular hours, call the police non-emergency number at 222-0463 (TDD 441-0399). They will contact the appropriate Public Works personnel.
My understanding is that sand and sandbags will be placed in Winnequah Park parking lots in addition to the 'normal' Belle Isle operations. In addition to the record-setting 4.11 inches of rain, it appears that plugged culverts may be the culprit with the Winnequah Park lagoon-related flooding. (See, Flooding a danger as rivers rise in wake of record rainfall). Also, inmates are coming in to help out on the islands.
It never hurts to call or email an alder or the mayor so that we know where the problems are.
Monday, June 09, 2008
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Sewers are also backing up all over Monona. It would be helpful to know if and when we should use our water and appliances.
ReplyDeleteHow did Belle Isle hold up? I can't imagine too well since there was no time to put out sandbags. What a nightmare. What can the community to do help?
ReplyDelete"What can the community to do help?" Short term, I'm sure there is a need for volunteers. You might contact Susan Manning and ask her this question.
ReplyDelete"Sewers are also backing up all over Monona. It would be helpful to know if and when we should use our water and appliances."
I'm sorry, I'm a little dense this evening. Could you expand on your question?
When can we expect to hear back from the City Engineer that you recommended we call? Several people in my neighborhood called - no one received an answer, not even to say that they'd get to us when they could........
ReplyDeleteAccording to the nice lady who answered the phone at City Hall on Monday, sewers (including ours) were backing up into basements all over Monona due to excessive water in the system.
ReplyDeleteThis didn't get much press given the other dramatic events of the day. We are now able resume our normal activities without the sewage backing up.
It might have been helpful if there would have been an announcement on Sunday and Monday morning asking residents to limit water usage (dishwashers, washers, etc.) so as not to overtax the system. I realize that the problem isn't under Monona's control but the Madison Metro Sewage District.
Raw sewage was also dumped into Lake Monona.
Link: http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/news/view.cfm?news_id=927
"When can we expect to hear back from the City Engineer that you recommended we call? Several people in my neighborhood called - no one received an answer, not even to say that they'd get to us when they could........"
ReplyDeleteI passed along this comment to the city engineer.
say Doug,
ReplyDeleteI know you are really trying and your blog is great.
We disagree about the smoke park and chickens!
But gosh....it is kinda bad when people have to check you blog about flooding and what to do.
I noticeed the city put up a small link on their site....heck I didn't notice it on Sunday until you said they had something.
It just seems they could....well...delete the mayor's pic. and highlight practical issues.
This whole thing is a retread of 12 (or so) years ago when we had massive sewer backups. I'm sure it won't be long before we hear city officials saying this was an "extreme" event. But having sewage in my basement every twelves years is unacceptable and makes it more than a rare occurence. The last time, the city offered to "help" by loaning us the money to put in backflow valves. Other cities have helped their citizens actually pay the cost of this work. It's the cheapest and easiest fix for a poorly engineering system. I don't think that's asking too much, do you?
ReplyDeletei just heard that the city engineer is going on vacation and won't be back to answer questions until late next week!! My neighbor got a voice mail from him.
ReplyDeletewho gets to go on vacation during a city emergency? Guess my flooding problems don't matter too much.
What a shame.
I agree with the comment about Monons's website. It is underutilized in many ways. Who maintains it? What can we do to make it more timely?
ReplyDeleteA question asked earlier about lack of response from the city engineer. I passed along this comment to the city engineer and this is the response I received.
ReplyDelete"Doug:
I am swamped. I am returning as many calls as I can, not to say I couldn’t have missed one hear or there. Between the flooding, sewer backups, street project and Winnequah Road work, the plate is overflowing. And that is not including the regular everyday business that needs to be addressed.
FYI – I will be on vacation wed 6/11 through Mon 6/16."
MD: I would only add that I agree the workload is extraordinary right now.
Web site.
ReplyDeleteThe web site is much, much better than it used to be. There is a lot of info on there, but it's not always easy to find.
We do not really have a specific person whose job is web development. Those duties are add-ons for a couple staffers with many other regular duties.
I agree we need to keep making it better. And we can, but we have to make the commitment. For example, look at the Monona Police Department and Public Library web sites, which are maintained by respective department staff.
Regarding the snarky comment about the mayor's picture. It is pretty common to have the mayor's picture on a city's web site. The picture is fine - I can think of worse mayor's pictures....
So when will the city be having an informational meeting or hearing about this sewer issue? It is not a once in a lifetime event in Monona. Some neighborhoods have been hit several times over the last twenty years. Our lift stations do not even have backup power. Can you imagine how much worse this would have been had the power went down?
ReplyDeleteThe info on the website is no help at all. There is a lot of information that people need, and they are not getting it. For instance, most homeowner's insurance does not cover sewage backup unless you have a special addition to your policy (this is not flood insurance, that's a whole different issue.) People also need info on how to properly sanitize things that have been in contact with sewer water, and info about the health risks. What about our seniors who need help getting the mess cleaned up?
"I am swamped." Haha. I think it's a rare engineer that is capable of such ironic humor..
ReplyDeleteWe've been through several sewer backups in 25 years in Monona. It's awful and all we ever get is that nothing can be done. We have back flow valve, but it must have stuck and it didn't work. We are really tired of this. When will the city council take this problem on? The person above who said about back up power at the lift stations has a valid point. don't we have that? As I understand it , a ctiy crew has to bring in a generator if the power goes down. How quickly will that happen after hours? It is also really bad that the city did not request residents to restrict their sewer use as of Monday morning.
ReplyDeleteI don't know the answers to all these questions. I am looking into some of these things.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest that folks with specific problems at their residence (sewer backups, for example) should contact the city - mayor, alder and/or staff. Don't assume that we know about these problems. My city email is dwood@ci.monona.wi.us
http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/291018
ReplyDeleteI love it. It's okay to have sewage in our basements, but if it gets in the lake we have a major announcement about the health threat. And there it is diluted with lake water! Why no reaction at all from the city about the health threat we face when cleaning up sewer water from our basements?
"It's okay to have sewage in our basements....Why no reaction at all from the city?"
ReplyDeleteNobody said it was OK for people to have sewage in their basements. The cause is unclear and probably differs depending on location. My understanding is that storm water infiltrates the sewer pipes and this can lead to backups.
I am informed that the Public Works Committee is going to have a hearing on flood-related matters and the city is working to improve info on the web site.
I say again REPORT YOUR DAMAGE both to the city and to Dane County. http://www.co.dane.wi.us/press/default.asp?frmPRID=1177
Hi Doug,
ReplyDeleteThis is from Dane County Health.
"Cleaning Contaminated Basements and Avoiding Mold Growth
Flooded basements provide an ideal environment for mold and bacteria. When things get wet for more than two days they usually get moldy. Mold may cause significant health problems for building inhabitants. It is very important to take action to prevent mold from growing. Following is a brief overview of steps you should take:
The EPA recommends that you wear protective clothing to protect yourself from becoming ill when cleaning. Protective clothing includes the following: An N-95 respirator mask (more protective than the dust mask), goggles, rubber gloves, long pants, long sleeved shirt, and boots or work shoes.
Dry the flooded space within 48-hours. This greatly improves your chances of avoiding a mold problem in the future.
Remove and throw out porous materials that have been soaked by floodwaters, such as carpets, drywall, insulation, and manufactured wood products.
Sometimes these materials can be salvaged if they are cleaned and dried completely within 48 hours.
If drywall has been damaged, cut and remove the drywall up to at least one foot above the water line to ensure all wet drywall is removed.
Clean with soap and water first, then disinfect with a diluted bleach solution (1 and 2/3rd cup bleach to 1 gallon of water) to control mold and bacteria.
- Do not use full strength bleach. This increases the chance of breathing problems and does not increase disinfection.
Allow flooded spaces to dry thoroughly before rebuilding the walls or laying new carpet. It may be necessary to use large fans and dehumidifiers to dry the space completely.
For further information including detailed instructions for eliminating and preventing mold call the Department of Public Health for Madison and Dane County at (608) 266-4821."
I've had sewage back up into my basement 4 times over the past 12 years. Twice is was due to tree roots blocking the main, and twice it was from rainwater filling the lift station. I installed a backwater valve 12 years, but it's not always effective.
ReplyDeleteI know that the city was well aware that the lift station was full for more than 14 hours (I had conversations with them throughout the night). When I confronted the city engineer early Monday morning, he said something along the lines of "we're considering bringing in a tanker to remove some of the water." Good idea...WHY DID IT TAKE 14 HOURS TO COME UP WITH THIS PLAN---14 hours that I was trying to pump it out as quickly as it was coming in.
What neighborhood do you livle in? I don't know why city engineerng would have told you that on Monday morning, because the McCann sewer people were already at the Midmoor Rd lift station on Sunday night. I know, because I talked to the guy. By Monday morning, pumping wasn't being "considered" - it was already happening, and it continued throughout the day on Monday. They were back again last night. Bottom line, if you live in an area of sewage backups in Monona, you must be proactive. We have an inflatable plug that goes in our floor drain whenever we see flooding on the horizon. Our neighbor didn't put their plug in on Sunday night, and we were helping them bail sewage until we could get it plugged. ONce the plugs were in, we were able to shop vac the whole mess up and by midnight on Sunday, the major mess was averted. You can get these plugs at First Supply by WalMart. People who live in low areas of Monona must have a way to close their sewer off in their basements and not rely on Madison Metro Sewage or the city to prevent these backups, becaues it ain't gonna happen. The whole system was poorly designed and is now overloaded. However, I am still irritated we do not have onsite generator backup for our lift stations. If the lift station had gone down on Sunday, the backpressure may have been too much even for our floor drain plugs.
ReplyDeleteUpdate: I talked to MMSD today, and the head engineer (really nice guy - took the time to call me personally after I emailed him) told me that they do not ask people to restrict water use during events such as this because he doesn't feel it helps. When sewer backups are occuring, it's because groundwater levels are above the sanitary sewer lines, and there is so much water infiltrating the system (through cracks in pipes, etc.) from that, that restricting water use in homes is a drop in the bucket (pun intended).
ReplyDelete