Council Member Richard Odoms

MONDAY, JUNE 19, WILL BE THE THREE YEAR 'ANNIVERSARY'

OF THE FLOODING HAMBURG EXPERIENCED IN 2014 !!

On June 19, 2014 at 3:12AM, I, along with Hamburg's Public Works employee Greg Schultz, were alerted to a 'HIGH EFFLUENT' alarm at the City's Sewage Lift Station at Bi-Centennial Park by Floyd Security; the company that monitors conditions at both the Sewage Lift Station as well as the city's Water Treatment Plant. The city had been receiving heavy rain for a number of hours and eventually, due to 'infiltration' of rainwater into the city's sanitary sewer system coupled (probably) with residential sump pumps discharging into the sanitary sewer, the capacity of the Sewage Lift Station was 'overwhelmed'.

From the time that we were notified until 'things returned to normal' at 6:51PM that evening (about sixteen hours later), Greg and I worked 'shoulder-to-shoulder' (I even missed a day of work because of the flooding) ensuring that City residents would experience 'minimal impact' of the heavy rainfall (3-5"+ inches) received. Ultimately, it was necessary to contact the Pollution Control Agency and tell them of our 'plight' and they gave us permission to pump (much diluted) sewage water from the city's sanitary sewer system into the city's storm water drainage system. Becauser of our 'quick thinking', the City was able to prevent major sewage backup into residents homes; only about three or four homes sustained any damage from sewage backup; it certainly could have been much worse.

Shown below are some of the pictures that I took that day as a result of the flooding that the city experienced. Click on the 'thumbnails' below to increase the size of the pictures you wish to view.