Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Stormwater Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press Struthers council for faster sanitary-sewer fixes after repeated basement flooding
Summary
Multiple homeowners reported repeated basement flooding on April 20 and urged the council to speed implementation of multi-phase stormwater and wastewater studies; city staff said modeling and funding constraints limit how quickly work can proceed.
Residents from Fifth Street and nearby blocks told Struthers City Council on April 20 that repeated sanitary-sewer backups have flooded basements, and they urged the city to move more quickly from study to construction.
"On April 5, I was flooded again. This makes over a dozen times," resident Andrew Young said, describing recurring sewage in his basement. Young said he uses a two-inch hose to divert sanitary backflow into his sump pump during storms and told the council he measured "10 gallons of water a minute" running into his basement during one event; he added that the surge lasted "over two and a half hours."
Jason Verner, another nearby resident, said older infrastructure combined with layered asphalt has reduced catch-basin capacity and that stormwater from surrounding communities is overwhelming Struthers' system. "We're the catch basin," Verner said, describing yards and streets filled by rapid runoff during heavy storms.
Mayor Catherine Chacon Miller and public-works staff described a multi-phase study that has completed investigative phases and is now in modeling. The mayor said the city has completed phase 1 and phase 2 and that phase 3 is the modeling phase; she said the city must produce engineering plans stamped by licensed professionals to secure implementation funding. "We legally can't — nobody's going to give us money to do it — unless we have those stamped plans," the mayor said.
City staff identified Frank DeMarco as the official in charge of stormwater work and said Mark, head of the wastewater department, is available to answer technical questions. Staff suggested near-term measures such as clearing or raising catch basins to improve local drainage while the larger modeling and funding process continues.
Residents asked whether flows from Boardman and other neighboring jurisdictions are entering Struthers' sanitary system; staff acknowledged regional inflows and said clay-tile sewer lines and other aging infrastructure allow infiltration that worsens surges. Staff also said they would examine catch-basin elevations and coordinate with Mahoning County where appropriate.
No immediate construction funding or schedule was announced during the meeting. City officials said they will pursue grant and implementation funding once engineered plans and modeling justify proposed fixes.
