Murrysville property owner says repeated sewer backups tied to sagging line; FTMSA billing dispute raised

William Ott, a property owner at 127 Pheasant Run Drive, told Murrysville Borough Council he has suffered repeated sewage backups at buildings he owns on Old William Penn Highway and said video and photos show a sag in the sewer line that FTMSA inspected but has not fixed. "I was flooded in 02/2003, 02/2007, 2012 with sewage coming up through the floor drains," Ott said, and he described another backup after heavy rains on June 6 when, he said, "water shooting out of the manhole cover." He said a check valve installed about 15 years ago failed and that he has had to remodel the facility multiple times. Tom Moser, who said he has worked with Ott for about 20 years, told council the sewer dip is "identified by FTMSA" and is filled with sediment, allowing backups that inundated a basement with about 4 inches of water after the June storm. He said FTMSA's own camera footage shows the pipe full for about 20 feet and questioned FTMSA's claim that the sag is only "an inch and a half" in an 8-inch pipe. Both speakers also reported receiving a letter from FTMSA proposing billing changes. Ott said the letter — which he said he received that day — would charge him for "every person in that property" and seek retroactive tap or sewage charges going back three years. No formal action was taken. A council member thanked the speakers and said the borough will follow up with FTMSA about the matter. Why it matters: Recurrent sewage backups pose health risks for affected properties and can indicate failing sewer infrastructure; a retroactive billing claim could carry financial consequences for property owners. What was said and recorded: Ott described past flood years (2003, 2007, 2012) and the June 6 event; he said an engineer calculated the sag at about 10 inches while FTMSA reported it as 1.5 inches. Moser described a roughly 20-foot filled section of an 8-inch line and expressed concern that FTMSA might levy multi-year back charges if customers raise service complaints. Council response and next steps: A council member said they would speak to FTMSA and follow up; no timeline or directive to staff was recorded on the record. Context and limits: Speakers referred to camera footage, photos, and a bill/letter from FTMSA but did not present a formal inspection report on the council record. FTMSA's written claim about the depth of the sag and the proposed charges were described by speakers; FTMSA did not speak at the meeting, and the borough did not announce any immediate repairs or a specific timetable for investigation.