GRANDVILLE, Mich. — Homeowners on 30th and Wallace in Grandville say what started as a water main break quickly turned into flooding inside homes, with some neighbors experiencing raw sewage backing up into their basements.
Earlier this month, neighbors say they received unexpected nighttime calls about the flooding.
"My neighbor called me and asked, 'Is your basement flooded?' Not quite the call that you want at bedtime," Grandville homeowner Tyrus Marzine said.
Marzine has lived in the neighborhood for about three years. He says by the time he checked his basement, water was already coming in.
"I went into action mode. I immediately started picking stuff up. My wife was a little more emotional — as could be expected — and we just tried to save stuff," Marzine said.
The flooding damaged the family's basement including their children's play area and his wife's crafting space.
"A lot of kids' toys, a lot of crafting stuff — a lot of it got ruined," Marzine said.
On the same street, Marzine's neighbor did not want to go on camera, but told me in a statement that sewage got into her home.
City leaders sat down with me but declined to go on camera. Regarding the sewage, city leaders say a water main break likely related to freezing temperatures may have allowed water to get into a nearby sewer manhole, which contributed to sewage backups in some homes.
According to the city, its insurance provider reviewed the claims and determined the city did not meet the legal standard for liability under state law, resulting in denied claims. City officials say homeowners may work through their own insurance policies or appeal that determination.
When asked if it has been a big financial burden, Marzine said insurance covers some costs but not all.
"We're just looking at some loss, yeah," Marzine said.
He's left hoping it doesn't happen again.
"It's a great city, and everybody has missteps, and we just want them to fix this one and make sure that our sewer and water lines are safe for all of our kids our community. We just want answers. We want transparency, and we want whatever problem solved and solved correctly so it doesn't happen again," Marzine said.
City leaders say they're sorry this happened to some of their residents and understand the frustration. They also say they're open to continuing conversations with homeowners who still have concerns.
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