A mid-day sewage backup sends polluted water spewing into people's homes. It happened around 11:30 this morning when engineers were testing a sewer line leading to Fargo's wastewater treatment plant.
The affected area stretches from 9th and 10th streets to 31st and 32nd avenues in north Fargo.
Fargo city engineers tell me at least 18 homes have sewage in them. Another 8 houses are still being looked at to see if they have back up. The damage varies from house to house, but in some cases, the contaminated water has caused some costly problems.
This is not the welcome home Barb Geeslin was expecting. "I was in Hawaii last week and this is a big back to reality check for me," said Geeslin. Her carpet is ruined, the floorboards are wet, and the bathroom is a mess.
Barb Geeslin, north Fargo: "It was my house cleaner who said she was upstairs and heard a gurgling noise in the basement and she said water was spouting from the drain, the shower and the stool in the bathroom."
When barb rushed home from work, she found out it wasn't water at all, but sewage. City engineers say an inflatable plug dislodged from a bypass sewer line connected to Fargo's wastewater treatment plant.
Dave Johnson, deputy city engineer said, "We were trying to do a trial run to prevent this type of situation but unfortunately it didn't work out here." The slip sent a surge of sewage spewing into dozens of people's basements, and brought a parade of clean-up crews into this neighborhood.
"I'm pretty sure all my carpeting, furniture that's wet, a piano that's been sitting in water," said Geeslin. Geeslin says she doesn't know how bad the damage is yet, but the heap of carpet junked at the bottom of her driveway is certainly a clue.
