Lake County residents say repeated sewage flooding; commissioners pledge study, town hall and funding options

Corine Tansky, a resident of the Pines development, told Lake County commissioners at a workshop that homes in her neighborhood were flooded with sewage again in less than six months and that homeowners are being told the repairs are their financial responsibility. "We're being told different people who's responsible and who's whose issue it is," Tansky said, adding that between 30 and 40 homeowners are seeking outside counsel and public records to determine accountability.

A county commissioner responding at the meeting said the county's preliminary view is that stormwater is overflowing into the smaller sanitary system during heavy rains, which can overwhelm sewer lines. "If there's something wrong with the sanitary system that the county is responsible for, I can promise you the county is going to fix it," the commissioner said, promising further investigation.

Officials said both the county's utilities department and the storm water department have conducted studies to identify structural issues and what can be done to fix them. The commissioner described several possible technical remedies — including different types of shutoff or gate valves and installing high‑wall basement plumbing rather than floor drains — but said many of those fixes can be costly for homeowners.

To ease the financial burden, the commissioner proposed exploring a community improvement corporation (CIC) or similar low‑interest, long‑term loan program so homeowners who choose to make changes could do so without an immediate large out‑of‑pocket payment. The county also discussed infrastructure already built in the area: officials said a retention basin was constructed on the Fairway Pines golf course property to hold back stormwater before it enters the Lake Erie Shores area, and that developers are required to construct stormwater controls as part of ongoing projects.

Meeting participants cited recent heavy rainfall as a contributing factor. Officials noted a storm that produced about 2.6 inches of rain in roughly five hours, and another event they described as larger. The county said it expects to receive the studies by April and plans to hold a town hall meeting in April or May at Painesville Township Park to present findings and options to residents.

A resident at the meeting said a house in the Pines development had its sump pump tied into the sanitary stack when built and that a county inspector approved that installation. "When a house is built, you have an inspector there to inspect the plumbing... So, it was okayed," the resident said, arguing that if many houses were built that way it could help explain systemic overloads and would not be solely a homeowner responsibility.

County officials responded that determining whether sump pumps are tied into sanitary lines will require inspections and that they do not yet have comprehensive answers. Commissioners said they would work with townships and the storm water department to investigate maintenance, funding and possible corrective measures. The workshop concluded with the county pledging follow‑up and community outreach to share study results and next steps.