Homes in Collins flooded after town drainage project

COLLINS, N.Y. (WIVB) -- When a family in the Southtowns had water gushing into their basement for months, they called for action.

It turned out that a drainage project from the Town of Collins directly contributed to the flooding of homes near the town hall.

It has been a rough winter for folks impacted. Flooding all winter long -- that's what the Butcher family said it had to endure after the Town of Collins worked on a drainage project right outside of the family's home. They said this situation has been horrible for them and their two young children.

A flooded basement is one of the worst things for a homeowner. For the Butcher family, their basement has been flooded repeatedly over the winter months following the stormwater drainage project by the town. The town hall is right across the street.

"It's been a rough three months at home with a baby and a 5-year-old," said Sarah Butcher.

Video shows Sarah's husband, Austin, walking in water inches deep. The family suspects water and materials that went to their septic system ended up in their basement.

"The smell is God-awful," Sarah Butcher said. "We all couldn't take showers in the same night. I couldn't do my dishes and run my laundry, which is hard with a baby because you've always got laundry and bottles, and I couldn't do that. I could only wash like one bottle and then some dishes. It was awful."

To get the water out, the Butchers ran their sump pump and a fan to dry things out. Another home across the street has experienced flooding as well after the town started digging.

News 4 spoke to Town Supervisor Ken Martin on the town's drainage project, which began late last year at a cost of $700,000. New receivers were put in around the town hall. Martin said the town and a contractor started their work despite not having any maps of the town's old drainage system.

"The infrastructure that's in place now at that time, the drainage and whatnot, there was no record at the town of what it was and who was tied into it as far as homes tied into any storm water drains that the town may have had," Martin said. "It's not the town's responsibility to know where everyone's basement line goes."

Martin admitted errors were made.

"When we did the project, we abandoned probably only a couple-hundred foot section here right by the town hall of the previous receivers and drainage and that looks like it affected two houses here right by the town hall," Martin said. "Evidently the project disrupted his cellar drain and when that happened somehow it was short-circuiting something coming from his septic system back into his basement."

It turns out when the project was done, the Butchers were not connected to the new drainage system. The Butchers contacted Call 4 Action and for weeks we've been pressing the town on when aspects of the project will be fixed.

"I think after you started calling him is when he was like, OK, let's fix it. I don't think that if you guys didn't start calling him or asking him questions that he would've fixed it," Butcher said.

With the warmer temperatures this week, the contractor returned to the site.

"The contractor connected his cellar drain line to our new drainage system," Martin said.

And so far, so good -- there's been no wastewater ending up in the family's basement. Still, the family said their neighbors across the street have not been friendly in this whole ordeal.

"He has not once said and apologized to any of us," Butcher said.

We asked Martin about this.

QUESTION: Have you issued an apology to them?

"Well, we've done this now. We're waiting to see if this is going to correct everything, all of their problems," Martin said.

QUESTION: But have you given them an apology because you guys did this project?

"We will talk to them in the future here, yes," Martin said.

An apology has yet to be given.

If you have a Call 4 Action complaint, you can call our hotline at 716-879-4900.