Northeast DC neighbors looking for city to take charge of sewage mess
WASHINGTON - Several Northeast D.C. neighbors are pleading with city leadership to take action as the clean-up continues from Thursday’s historic rains, which flooded homes with sewage-water in certain parts of the District, neighbors tell FOX 5.
“It was just so disappointing yesterday. Like, it really, really was,” said Jessica Sarstedt, reacting to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the D.C. Water General Manager’s visit to their Edgewood neighborhood on Saturday.
Video: Water rescue in Northeast DC
Sarstedt tells FOX 5 she’s been living along Bryant Street, Northeast for almost eight years and never experienced what the area went through during Thursday’s storms.
“Between 2:15 and 2:30 [p.m.] it started raining really heavily and I started hearing water in my basement so I sprinted down,” described Sarstedt, “and I just saw geysers of sewage water coming up through my toilet and through my floor drain. And I started screaming and ran outside to try and get my neighbors to help me and realized every single house in this neighborhood was experiencing the same thing I was.”
READ MORE: DC man set on fire dies, police continue search for suspect
Sunday morning, she showed FOX 5 all of the items she’s tried to salvage and clean-off, as well as all of the drywall she’s had to cut out or furniture she’s had to throw away.
All weekend we’re told Edgewater and Riggs Park neighbors have been tossing out furniture and personal items damaged by D.C. wastewater, after the public sewer system apparently became inundated by last week’s heavy rains.
READ MORE: Northeast DC shooting leaves 1 man dead, woman hospitalized
Neighbors believe around 40 homes were flooded with sewage water because of it.
“It was hip high. This water was bad. It was nasty. There’s sewage coming from God knows where, everywhere. Sewage water. You can see feces among other things, floating in this water,” said Darnelle Jones, who tells FOX 5 her children’s’ bedroom furniture, which includes furniture for a newborn, was ruined.
Jones, Sarstedt and others say they are grateful the city officials took the time to visit on Saturday, but they are still frustrated with the conversation.
We’re told the instructions given were to go through their insurance or file a claim with D.C. Water, which says on their website: “DC Water generally does not pay for cleanup costs or damages that result from sewer backups.”
Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and Weather
Sarstedt says they were told claims would be handled on a case-by-case basis
Neighbors don’t believe either will help.
“This is going to be 10s of thousands of dollars,” said Sarstedt.
“This is not something that you get some sponges and get some soapy water and everything is going to be okay,” said Jones, “The issue comes in with the housing damage … DC water is not going to repair anyone’s house. They’re not going to replace floors. Walls.”
Part of a statement sent to FOX 5 from DC Water’s General Manager and CEO says: “…I told them we will do everything we can to help them protect their properties for this type of flooding in the future. DC Water says it is expanding a Backwater Valve Rebate Program to the residents of the impacted areas. The valve is something that will help stop sewage back-ups from going into residences.
The Mayor’s office had DPW quickly pick-up discarded items.
Sunday Mayor Bowser also sent a letter to DC Water describing actions they agreed on, which include DC Water assigning an executive staff member to answer resident’s questions -- and the agency performing an “after-action” review.
Still for the homeowners and renters, a big problem persists.
“They did not make any commitment to financially help this community or did they – they didn’t give us a concrete plan on how the most vulnerable, our elderly, they’re going to check on them to make them safe … whether you had one inch or 12 inch, everything had to be destroyed,” said Sarstedt, "We are asking and pleading for the city to step up and help us rebuild our homes and make them safe again.”
On top of all this, is the Coronavirus Pandemic. Sarstedt and others expressed concerns of already being financially stretched due to the pandemic. Many are also concerned the sewage exposure could expose neighbors to other health issues.
D.C. Water is expecting to hold a virtual town hall. No date or time has been issued yet.