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Plain City residents urge investigation after lift‑pump failure led to sewer backups
Summary
Residents from McDermott Station told the Plain City Council that a lift‑pump failure maintained by Mid Ohio Water and Sewer sent sewage into basements and public spaces; they requested an independent investigation, written remediation commitments and stronger oversight of the utility partnership.
Plain City residents on Monday urged the Village Council to open an independent review after a lift‑pump failure maintained by Mid Ohio Water and Sewer caused sewage to back up into basements, retention ponds and neighborhood green spaces.
Connor Fullenkamp, who addressed the council during the visitors portion, described repeated sewer overflows in McDermott Station and characterized the incident as a “serious public health concern” that exposed children and other residents to raw sewage. He asked the village to improve monitoring of lift stations, establish clear accountability for the joint venture with Mid Ohio and provide a written explanation of the failure and proposed corrective actions.
Another resident who spoke said she first called Mid Ohio at 9:56 a.m. on Friday and received no substantive response; after waiting, she paid a $1,000 insurance deductible to arrange cleanup and credited Pleasant Valley Fire Department and a private mitigation company, Servpro, for extensive cleanup work.
The second speaker said 14 residences were affected in their neighborhood, listing multiple streets and asking the council to demand written commitments from Mid Ohio on customer service and remediation measures. The council asked impacted residents to email statements or attend follow‑up meetings so the village would have documentation to consider whether additional oversight or an independent review is warranted.
Mayor and council members acknowledged the frustration of residents and encouraged them to submit written statements to the mayor’s office; council members also said they would consider next steps but noted some issues may involve the utility partnership and external authorities.
The council did not take formal action during the public meeting on this item; members asked residents to provide written evidence and said the village would review options at a future meeting.
