Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sewer And Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges council to fix repeated sewer backups on La Paloma Drive
Summary
At the June 17 Rawlins City Council meeting, resident Kendra Cisneros described repeated sewage backups into her basement on La Paloma Drive and asked the council to fix the underlying sewer main; staff described maintenance history, options and costs and were asked to return with a project cost estimate.
Kendra Cisneros told the Rawlins City Council on June 17 that her basement has flooded repeatedly with sewage and household debris from the public sewer system on La Paloma Drive, and she asked the city to fix the line causing the backups.
Cisneros said she has documented “13 times” her basement flooded since she moved into the house in December 2020, describing tampons, rags and other people’s sanitary waste coming into her home and ruining sheetrock, furniture and family memorabilia. “This isn’t a me problem. This is a you problem,” she said. She described health concerns for a disabled household member and said repeated cleanup costs and property damage have left the basement uninhabitable at times.
City public-works staff described the sewer segment in the El Rancho/La Paloma area as having “bellies” — low spots caused by ground movement — where solids and wipes collect and block flow. Staff said crews have CCTV-inspected and jetted the line several times; records show at least four maintenance cleanings this year in that area and additional cleanings in prior years. Staff said the most durable long-term fix is a capital sewer project to regrade and replace the problematic pipe, but that would be costly and require engineering and funding decisions.
Council members asked about interim and homeowner-level steps. Staff said individual backflow-prevention devices can limit how much sewage returns into a basement when the main surges; a staff estimate cited by speakers placed the installed cost of a device at roughly $1,500 for an in-home unit, or about $5,500 to install a unit closer to the street (which would require digging up a recently replaced service). Council members also asked whether the city could flush the main on a regular schedule; staff warned that aggressive jetting can create a surge that sends a large volume down the line and potentially flood low-lying homes before it clears the system.
City Manager Tom Sarvey said the sewer enterprise fund’s cash reserves were “just under $700,000” at the last audit. Staff told the council that projects costing over roughly $1 million would likely require financing beyond that fund’s reserves. Council directed staff to obtain a contractor-level cost estimate for replacing or regrading the sewer line through the affected El Rancho/La Paloma area (beginning at the downhill junction and working up the hill) and to try to provide that estimate by the next council meeting.
No formal motion to appropriate funds or start construction was made at the meeting; council members discussed options for funding, homeowner backflow devices, and prioritizing the sewer segment for future capital planning.
