Residents raise sewage backups and stormwater problems; county engineer outlines long-term program and grant search

Residents at the Sept. 17 meeting told Trumbull County commissioners about repeated sewage and stormwater drainage problems that have flooded basements and damaged property. County sanitary staff said the issues are largely legacy connections—house footing and foundation drains tied to the sanitary system—and that correcting them will be complex and costly.

Why it matters: Basement sewage backups are a public-health and property-damage issue for affected households. Correcting legacy plumbing connections typically requires site-by-site assessment, disconnecting footing drains from sanitary sewers, and installation of devices such as backflow preventers; costs and grant opportunities were discussed but no countywide funding program was approved at the meeting.

Public comments and staff responses

- Resident testimony: Carol Renner of Mineral Ridge told commissioners her home experienced sewage in the basement during heavy rains and that neighbors have faced similar backups. She said cleanup has cost thousands of dollars and expressed frustration that the problem has persisted for two years.

- Sanitary engineer response: The county sanitary engineer (identified in the meeting as Gary) acknowledged the problem, describing it as a “legacy” condition in which older homes remain connected to sanitary sewers with footing drains. The engineer said these connections were common until around 1985 and that many affected houses remain connected. He described a technical process that can include dye testing and disconnection work.

- Funding and scale: The engineer and commissioners discussed the potential cost to homeowners of installing backflow prevention devices (a figure cited in the discussion as roughly $3,000 for a private-side device in some cases) and the possibility of countywide approaches funded by grants. The engineer said he will pursue grant opportunities (including EPA programs) and evaluate a countywide strategy that might target hot spots first.

- Program design and staffing: The sanitary engineer said the work will take time and staff capacity is limited; he recommended prioritizing hot-spot areas such as Mineral Ridge and Champion and pursuing grant applications and planning approaches rather than immediately requiring homeowners to pay full costs.

What the record shows about technical options

- Disconnection of footing drains from sanitary sewers is technically possible but requires property-specific investigation (dye testing, plumbing inspections) to identify connections. - Private backflow-preventer or sump-ejector installations are one mitigation approach; the engineer gave an example cost of about $3,000 per property though he noted installations vary by site. - A countywide approach tied to master-metering or district assessments was discussed as a potential funding mechanism; the engineer said such a program could capture savings and possibly pay for work over time but would require planning, public input and funding authorization.

Next steps and follow-up

- The sanitary engineer will research grant options (including EPA funding) and prioritize hot spots for an initial program design. - The county will explore staff resourcing and whether to create a dedicated project lead or drainage coordinator to manage the effort. - Homeowners were advised to document damage and to coordinate with sanitary staff for inspections; commissioners asked sanitary staff to follow up directly with residents who raised cases at the meeting.

Provenance: Resident comments and the sanitary engineer’s responses are recorded during public comment; technical details and cost examples appear in several speaker exchanges during that portion of the meeting.