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Basement Flooding & Sewer Backup Information
For additional information and resources, view the following quick links:
- Basement Flooding Brochure: Helping Homeowners Understand the Cause, Prevention and Cleanup Methods for Basement Flooding (PDF)
- Sewer Backup Do's and Don'ts
- Greater Lansing Regional Committee for Stormwater Management Handout: Heavy Rains and Backed-Up Drains (PDF)
Presentation on the August 12, 2021 Rain Event & Sewer Infrastructure Webinar
East Lansing Department of Public Works Acting Director Nicole McPherson recently provided a presentation to the East Lansing City Council on a rain event that took place on August 12, 2021, which caused some basement flooding and sewer backups in the East Lansing community.
- A recording of that presentation can be viewed on YouTube.
- The PowerPoint presentation can also be viewed.
A sewer infrastructure webinar was also hosted for residents on November 18, 2021.
Public Act 222: Sewer Backup Legislation
The State of Michigan passed Public Act 222 in 2001, which clarifies the conditions under which municipalities may be liable for a sewer backup. Public Act 222 sets standards to determine the extent to which a municipality could be liable for backups and establishes a process that affected persons must follow to seek compensation when back-ups occur. It is important to note that the City is not responsible for private sewer lines (lines that run from the home up to and including the connection to the sewer main under the street); learn more. It's also important to note that each incident has its own unique set of circumstances, which may affect any type of claim settlement that may ensue.Anyone making a claim for property damage or physical injury due to a sewer backup must prove that:
- the public sewer had a defect
- the governmental agency knew, or in the exercise of reasonable diligence, should have known about the defect.
- the governmental agency having the legal authority did not take the reasonable steps in a reasonable amount of time to repair, correct or remedy the defect.
- the defect was 50 percent or more of the cause of the event and property damage/physical injury.
- they own and have related the value of the damaged personal property
City of East Lansing
Attn: Finance Department
410 Abbot Road
East Lansing, MI 48823