Engineer recommends $150,000 sewer upgrade after Northfield flooding; village not liable, officials say

Engineer Rich Wasosky told the Village of Northfield council on July 8 that two areas flooded during the July 7 storm — the Plaza near Russo's Pizza and the Roosevelt and Monroe Drive area — and that undersized upstream sewers are a primary cause.

Wasosky said the Roosevelt/Monroe problem “can be corrected by replacing the existing 425 foot 18 inch sewer pipe with a 30 inch RCP storm sewer, the replacement of four catch basins, and the addition of two new catch basins.” He estimated that work at about $150,000 and told council that an underground basin solution would be more expensive.

The engineer also reported the upstream sewers along and across Route 8 in the plaza area are undersized and that he is evaluating the cost and likely effectiveness of permanent and temporary options to reduce future flooding for properties there, including businesses and residences.

Councilman Gary Vojtush asked whether the Village could be liable for homeowner flooding given the undersized sewer. Wasosky and Law Director Brad Bryan responded that the Village is not liable, saying the issue appears to be a design problem rather than a maintenance failure.

Wasosky noted the recently completed Houghton Road Project will come in roughly $100,000 under budget once final pay sheets are received, and said staff will continue to study stormwater options for the affected areas and report back with recommendations and cost estimates.

Council took no formal action on the sewer work at the July 8 meeting; further evaluation and potential project proposals were described as next steps.