A small group of neighbors talked about sewage problems during heavy rainfalls, including foul odors and bits of toilet paper found in yards, during a Monday evening Parsons City Commission meeting.
City Manager Debbie Lamb said the city staff was unaware of the problem, but they will see what can be done to solve the problem.
The issue is a prime example of the problem the city is trying to solve to satisfy an Environmental Protection Agency compliance order. Broken and long-neglected sanitation sewer pipes around town have allowed the infiltration of stormwater, inundating the sewer system and the wastewater treatment plant with more water they are designed to handle. The city has relined or replaced many miles of lines in the first and second wards but hasn’t reached the third or fourth wards yet.
During heavy rain, stormwater mixes with sewage, causing a backup into some people’s homes or out of their cleanouts and onto their yards. The city previously reached a settlement with a family whose home had sewage backed up into it.
(Read more: Parsons Sun)