'Sewer smell in there is horrible': Saskatoon residents frustrated with city over basements repeatedly flooding
Residents living in the 3400 block of 11th Street W in Saskatoon whose basements have flooded say this isn’t the first time its happened.
Penny Fentiman has lived in her home since 1986 and had restoration crews come to her home twice. On Friday her basement flooded at 8:30 a.m. again at 11 p.m.
“I got up and I heard the toilets kind of gurgling so I went downstairs, and there was water coming out of both drains, one in the furnace room and one in the laundry room,” she told CTV News
“The sewer smell in there is horrible, it’s coming up through all the vents.”
Near-by-neighbour Ryan Doherty says his home is currently “uninhabitable”, with him, his wife, and three children currently living in a hotel.
“Damage that we have here this time is standing backwater in the basement. I came home yesterday morning to a geyser coming up through the floor drains,” Doherty said.
In an email CTV News on Friday, the City of Saskatoon Water and Waste Operations says the sewer blockage was cleared Friday morning and the sanitary main returned to “normal low flows.”
“The incident will be further investigated next week as part of the City’s normal follow-up procedure,” the city said in its statement.
The City is advising residents experiencing damage due to the sewer blockage to follow up with their insurance company. Then, if warranted, their “insurance company can then make a claim against the City on their behalf.”
For Fentiman, this is a road she’d rather not go down as her basement has been flooded twice already and blames it on poor infrastructure. She’s had to make an insurance claim when her basement flooded in the past.
“I’m 66-years-old and I still have to work because everything keeps going up,” said Fentiman.“This happened four years ago, and the City said they were going to take care of it but obviously they didn’t.”
Since purchasing his home in 2011, this is the third time Doherty’s been affected by sewer backup. He says the City of Saskatoon repeatedly told him concerns over infrastructure have been addressed.
“The house is becoming uninsurable. I had to negotiate and was faced with increased premiums as well as an increased deductible,” said Doherty. “I am very frustrated in the city’s inability to find a resolution to the problem.”
Doherty noted the City did pay for his deducible during the second instance of flooding he experienced.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in "all public spaces," marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.