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Hammond outlines backflow-preventer subsidies and larger sanitary upgrades to curb basement flooding
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Summary
City officials explained a backflow-preventer subsidy program (up to $3,500 interior, up to $5,000 exterior for qualifying low-income residents) and described EPA-driven plans for additional basins and CMDF facilities to reduce basement backups after heavy storms.
Residents at Mayor’s Night Out asked what help exists for basements that flood during heavy rain. Community development and sanitary-district staff described a backflow-preventer (backwater valve) program that can cover a substantial portion of installation costs for qualifying households.
Awana Miller of community development said the program can pay up to $3,500 for interior backflow-preventer installations; the city can pay up to $5,000 for outside installations for low-income individuals who meet the income guidelines. Sanitary-district staff said the sanitary district will reimburse up to $2,000 when a licensed Hammond plumber is used, leaving roughly $1,500 out-of-pocket in one example described at the meeting.
Sanitary staff and the mayor framed the program as preventative: a properly installed and maintained backflow preventer substantially reduces the risk of basement backups. City officials urged homeowners to service and clean the device annually to ensure proper function.
Officials also described infrastructure measures: the city has constructed basins to manage overflow and said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is requiring further upgrades. The mayor said Hammond will need to build additional basins and a CMDF (combined municipal detention facility) in future phases, and that those EPA-driven improvements will carry significant cost and planning requirements.
What’s next: City staff said residents should contact the inspections or sanitary-district offices for eligibility and application instructions; staff offered to follow up with inspectors after the meeting for residents who reported recent basement backups.
