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Residents press Lewiston board for urgent fixes after repeated basement floods
Summary
Residents from Morgan Drive and surrounding neighborhoods told the Lewiston Town Board that recurring drainage failures have flooded basements twice this year; the board said sewer and pipe projects are planned and staff are developing a partially funded backflow-preventer grant program.
Several Lewiston residents told the Town Board on June 24 that persistent drainage failures have damaged homes and threatened property values, pressing elected officials for immediate repairs and clearer timelines.
“I come before you today deeply concerned about recent flooding incidents that have significantly impacted my property twice this year on January 26 and again just this month on June 8,” resident Norm Nichols told the board, saying water forced into his basement through service lines and left portions of his 1,100‑square‑foot basement unusable. He said he had reported the problem to the highway department after the January incident but had seen no follow-up.
A neighbor who identified himself as Mr. Woodley corroborated the account and said his rain gauge recorded about five inches of rain during a recent storm. He said video shows water swirling and being unable to exit to the river because a local ditch and outlet are blocked, and that he had told Supervisor Broadrick the town had promised funds to address the problem.
Multiple other residents spoke during public comment, describing saturated yards, sewage backups and repeated costly cleanups. One resident told the board she had lost about $6,000 in belongings and that frequent pumping and mold remediation have been required.
Town staff and board members said the town is aware of the broader stormwater and sewer issues in the Morgan Farms area and elsewhere. Deputy Jeff Ritter and others said the town is developing a backflow‑preventer grant program to help homeowners install devices that limit sewage backup; Ritter said the program would not cover the entire cost and details are still being worked out.
Supervisor Broadrick and highway staff described planned infrastructure work, including replacement of a collapsed pipe on Lower River Road, and the board authorized a $100,000 transfer from account H97 to the highway account to pay for pipe, materials and paving. The board also moved $50,000 to complete paving in a subdivision.
The board emphasized that very intense short‑duration storms (residents described roughly five inches over about 90 minutes) can overwhelm even properly sized systems, but members instructed staff to investigate specific clogged outlets and to follow up with residents who raised claims. Residents were advised they may file claims with the town’s insurance for property losses, but the board said long‑term mitigation would come through targeted capital work and the backflow grant program.
The board did not set a timeline for all repairs during the meeting but voted to reallocate funds for the Lower River Road replacement and said staff would examine localized ditch repairs and options for filling or repairing easements if necessary.
What’s next: board members said they will pursue the pipe replacement and finalize the backflow‑preventer grant details; residents seeking direct follow-up were told staff would contact them the next day.
