Published: August 18, 2009 01:50 pm      

Emergency sewer line work continues in New Albany

State Street business owner blaming damage on wastewater line failures

New Albany officials won’t blame it totally on the Aug. 4 flood, but sewer lines along State Street ruptured following the storm as crews continued emergency rehab work underneath the road Monday.

City Engineer Tim Marinaro said the cost of repairs could be between $50,000 and $100,000, depending on how much construction is needed.

“We’re having to drill pump wells now, because we’ve run into so much water, and that drives costs up,” he said.

Some of the clay pipe busted before the Aug. 4 rainfall, as Marinaro said he “wouldn’t swear” that the line failures were a direct result of the flooding.

William Greer, owner of A Car Doctor at 602 State St., is waiting to see if the city will take responsibility for flooding damage he said his business suffered as a result of the flooding and a subsequent heavy rainfall last week.

There was about 2 feet of water in the basement of A Car Doctor after the Aug. 4 rain. Greer believes it was sewage, citing the overwhelming smell that tainted the building, even after the water was pumped out.

Private contractors providing estimates for damage repair and Greer’s insurance carrier also believes it was sewage that filled his basement, according to Greer.

He said a representative from Environmental Management Co. — the company that maintains New Albany sewers — told him to take pictures of the damage and report it to the city’s Sewer Board.

Greer is getting more estimates, but so far the predictions for repairs tally at $60,000, he said.

“I have a whole lot of damage here and for a small businessman trying to make it, this doesn’t help out,” Greer said.

Standing water damaged the two-story building’s elevator, buckled floors and destroyed drywall, Greer said. The insurance company will cover his personal losses, but nothing on the building.

The city hasn’t had any complaints regarding the sewer line rupture along State Street, Marinaro said. Crews responded quickly when finding out the pipe busted by setting up a pump to divert sewage to another line, he added.

“I’m not aware of anything like that,” Marinaro said of the State Street sewer line failure causing flooding.

Beyond State Street, the city will be fixing a stormwater line along Oak Street and a sewer pipe along Elm Street.

Greer plans on listening to what the sewer board has to say about his damage before deciding on whether to file a tort claim against the city. The board’s next meeting is Aug. 27.



$100,000

• High end of the potential cost for repairs to sewer lines along

State Street, according to City Engineer Tom Marinaro.