Residents report repeat sewage backups at Twin City Manor; city staff outline short- and long-term fixes

Jacqueline Udeneze, community manager at Twin City Manor, told the council that repeated pump failures and heavy-rain sewage backups have flooded lower-floor units and forced temporary relocations of residents, including tenants with disabilities.

Public works staff described a three-stage response: an immediate bypass arrangement to prevent repeat overflows; an intermediate short-term bypass and redundancy setup so one pump will pick up if another fails; and a long-term rebuild of the lift station. Public works staff said equipment already purchased had some mechanical failures and that vendors returned faulty units; staff said a double-bypass pump arrangement has been installed as an immediate mitigation.

On the long-term fix, staff provided a preliminary parts estimate of about $1,314,000 (not including electrical work). Staff also said the lift station will need variable-frequency drives (VFDs) and related electrical work; those items could add roughly $30,000–$40,000. The public works representative asked for time to present a full engineering and cost breakdown for the entire sewer-stormwater program, noting the city must also satisfy requirements in a consent administrative order tied to the broader sewer system plan.

Council members and staff agreed to schedule follow-up briefings and to include the lift-station work in broader wastewater planning and funding conversations. The city manager and grants staff said they will look for state and federal funding sources tied to wastewater and said some drinking-water grants on file cannot be used for sewer work, so separate funding sources will be needed.