Jul 2, 2009 11:33 pm US/Eastern
Flooding Backs Up Sewage In Worcester
WORCESTER (WBZ) ―
-
-
Sewage has backed up at the Worcester apartment, leaving a damaging mess behind in this bathroom.
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Residents at a brand new apartment building in Worcester woke up to a flood of sewage Thursday.
Building managers say the storm put so much stress on the infrastructure, it shut off a check valve that connected the building to the city's sewage system.
Joe Salvia, who works for the company that manages the building, says the water being used in the building had nowhere to drain.
"All of the units on the second through fourth floors of the building continued to use water and it dumped out onto the first floor."
Clean up crews spent the day sweeping, vacuuming, and cutting wallboard a few inches up from the floor.
"We're disposing of that sheet rock and debris that's been contaminated," said Salvia.
Although The American Red Cross offered to house residents in a nearby shelter, everyone decided to stay.
"I don't know what I'm going to do," says Nana Core, who lives in the building with her two sons.
"All this apartment was water to here," she says pointing to her ankle. "It was dirty and smelled so bad."
A community development company recently converted the old factory building into hundreds of low income apartments that opened four months ago.
"We do have insurance," says Salvia, "But it's going to be a costly endeavor."
Crews have brought in large pumps, in case any more storms move through the area.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
