LOUISVILLE, KY (WDRB) — It’s considered crude to discuss, but what is often flushed down the toilet was bubbling up out of the manhole covers in the New Broadmoor subdivision Sunday after heavy rains caused flooding in parts of Louisville.
The raw sewage was reported to the Metropolitan Sewer District, which sent crews out to place markers over the manhole covers and urged nearby residents not to come into contact with it.
MSD spokesman Steve Tedder said typically when heavy rains occur — like the rainfall that dropped between 5 to 7 inches in Louisville over the weekend — the separate sewer systems in neighborhoods lying outside the Watterson Expressway often become overwhelmed.
Tedder said all of MSD’s sewage treatment plants were working at “maximum capacity” and urged anyone else who notices similar problems to contact MSD. The outdated sewer systems in Jefferson County are slowing being changed under a federal consent decree, which is 40 percent complete, Tedder said.
The sewer lines should be brought up to speed by 2024.
But the raw sewage bubbling up in the New Broadmoor subdivision was only part of the problem for residents. Homes and cars were damaged or destroyed by the heavy rain.
“When it hits home, it hits home. It home real hard,” said Ken Bagwell.
Bagwell returned home from Tennessee to uninvited guests – flood waters and sewage marking up his home and his wallet.
“My car was completely underwater at one time and then we got 4 or 5 inches of water all the way through,” Bagwell said.
His wife, Kay, who says she suffers from COPD, was concerned her medical equipment, including her oxygen tank, may have been damaged in the flood.
“We are on fixed incomes. This is not like we can go out and buy furniture and buy new appliances this is going to be hard,” Kay Bagwell said.
Two doors down, Michael Davis and his family were busy ripping up carpet Sunday afternoon from the home of his 86-year old father Jonnie.
“Only thing I see is a mess – ya know,” Johnie Davis said.
His son Michael said he was able to rescue his father from his home late Saturday night before returning Sunday to clean up. “He didn’t want his carpet (ripped) up. But you have to, it’s so many germs and bacteria. I couldn’t leave it like that.
“I wasn’t worried about this house. I was worried about him. I can repair the house but I can’t get another one of him,” said Mike Davis.
While damage in Johnie Davis’ home is severe – with close to a foot of water in the home – the younger Davis said he’s convinced his family will rise above the flood waters that rose up.