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Residents say city sewer upgrades are causing basement backups in Glenville area
Summary
A resident told council that a new 48‑inch relief sewer is feeding downhill into undersized 8‑inch pipes on Invermere and Lee Road, creating predictable bottlenecks that force sewage into basements; the resident asked the city and sewer department to accept responsibility and remediate the problem.
Sherry Baker, speaking for several residents of Embamere Avenue, told council that repeated basement sewage backups are not random weather events but the result of mismatched infrastructure: a newly installed 48‑inch sanitary relief sewer uphill is reportedly discharging into downstream 8‑inch pipes that lack capacity.
"We are not here with speculation. We are here with facts," Baker said, describing the relief sewer installed as part of the Joanne Drive sanitary relief project and asserting that the smaller pipes running down Invermere and a perpendicular main on Lee Road cannot handle the increased volume. She said the configuration creates "a severe predictable bottleneck" and that when the system is overwhelmed the water backs into homes.
Baker also warned the health consequences of repeated backups, noting exposure to mold and bacteria and describing personal health vulnerabilities. She asked the city and the sewer department to acknowledge responsibility and remediate the capacity mismatch, referencing a nearby instance where the city had recognized responsibility for a similar event.
Council members heard the testimony but did not issue a formal finding in this meeting; city engineering and sewer department staff were not recorded responding on the floor during the public comment period. Residents requested a written record and for the council to direct follow-up to the relevant department.
