Hilliard residents with flood

Hilliard residents whose basements have been flooded when sanitary sewers became inundated during rainstorms will be considered for a new program that would pay for the installation of a backflow valve.

In January, Hilliard City Council approved a backflow-prevention program after $120,000 was set aside in the 2021 capital-improvements budget to pay qualifying homeowners for a device that prevents sewage or storm water from backup up into basements when drain pipes are filled.

Details of the program, including the process for homeowner-selected contractors to perform the work, are being finalized and include sending letters to 34 homeowners known to have experienced backflow issues in recent years, according to David Ball, director of community relations for Hilliard.

Ball said Feb. 7 the letters should be sent within “a few weeks.”

In creating the program, the city collaborated with CDM Smith, a Boston-headquartered engineering and construction company.

Bexley, Grove City and Upper Arlington each instituted a backflow-prevention program in 2020, city engineer Clark Rausch told City Council on Jan. 24.

Older neighborhoods are more prone to such kinds of basement flooding, according to Drew Richards of CDM Smith.

Rausch told council members that CDM Smith used Hilliard’s Hillcrest neighborhood as “a case study” because of the greater-than-average incidents of basement flooding. Hillcrest is a subdivision on the south side of Cemetery Road, west of Leap Road.

In the past three years, city officials recorded 34 addresses with basement flooding, Rausch said.

Many of the incidents occurred when the city recorded 4.7 inches of rain March 20, 2020, and 3.7 inches May 19, 2020, Rausch said.

“Not all were in Hillcrest, but they were concentrated there,” he said.

The 34 addresses listed do not take into account multiple flooding incidents at the same residence, Rausch said.

Residents who have experienced multiple flooding incidents include Ryan Gross of Outer Street in Hillcrest.

Previous story:Hilliard asked to wade into recurring basement flooding

Gross said he installed a backflow valve after multiple incidents of basement flooding.

Gross said Feb. 7 that after experiencing multiple incidents of basement flooding, he installed a backflow valve in April 2020, but the city reimbursed him $525 for the part.

“The valve has tripped and prevented flooding a few times,” said Gross, adding he saved about $1,500 in labor by performing the task himself.

Although Gross was reimbursed for the valve last year, Ball said, the program being launched this year is designed to pay homeowners lacking a backflow valve to have one installed.

“We do not have any current plans to reimburse residents for backflow preventers that may have already been installed,” he said.

But concerning Gross, Ball said, the city chose to reimburse him after the funds were made available in the 2021 capital-improvements budget.

“We didn’t have the program finalized at that point, but we had the funds available and Mr. Gross had multiple issues with backup in his basement, so it seemed appropriate to reimburse him (and) not wait for the program details to be finalized,” Ball said.

Tom Wood, a resident on Hillcrest Street South, said a backflow valve was installed at his residence after it flooded in March 2020, and the backflow valve prevented flooding during the next heavy rainstorm in May.

The city did not pay for the installation of the valve, Wood said. He did not know the cost of the valve, he said.

The cost of backflow valves varies on a case-by-case basis, depending on whether grading is required and other variables, Richards said.

The maximum allowed for the grant is $5,000, and those who qualify will be responsible for the device's maintenance, Rausch said.

After the application window closes, the city will undertake a qualification process that includes a screening, inspection and homeowner’s agreement with the city, Ball said.

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