Cleanup of Idaho Falls homes damaged by raw sewage flooding
On Friday morning, restoration crews cleaned up the five confirmed homes on Newman Drive that sustained damage from last night.
Families came home to the stench of human waste in their houses after a bypass back up pump stopped working. In some of the homes, two feet of raw sewage filled their basements. Restoration crews say the damage for some of the homes could be close to tens of thousands of dollars.
The city of Idaho Falls’ insurance carrier, ICRMP, paid for the immediate cleanup of the homes. This sewage leak will come at no cost to the homeowners, and many of the families decided to stay home during the process.
“We decided just to stay here. I mean, once they got everything out and they got fans running, the smell kind of dissipated, so it’s not so bad. And they came in with some spray and deodorizer and stuff and cleaned it up. So it wasn’t really an inconvenience for us, per say, to stay in the home,” said homeowner Scott Anderson, whose basement was damaged.
The break is considered a freak accident. The bypass sewage pump has been repaired, and now contractors are checking the rest of the system to make sure everything is in order. Home restoration may take up to a week or two.
