Every year in Cincinnati, about 4,000 property owners report damage to their buildings from sewer backups, overland flooding, and water intrusion, all resulting from storms. It’s believed that many more homes are impacted by storms, but the damage isn’t reported.
Why should you report flood damage to your building? Three good reasons: First, the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) might pay for the damage. When you report water damage to MSD, they’ll send out an inspector to take a look. If the inspecter determines that the damage was caused by the sewers, they’ll pay to clean up the mess and reimburse you for any damages. In a typical year, MSD pays for more than 100 cleanups and compensates the landowner for damages.
Second, MSD may pay to prevent the problems from happening again. If a property is found to have been impacted by storms multiple times, MSD may take action, including installing backflow preventers, installing sump pumps, or other actions that they determine will be effective.
Third, when you report your water damage, local officials get an accurate idea of how bad Cincinnati’s stormwater issues really are. SCMG has been pushing Hamilton County to address the region’s stormwater problems. Every new flood report increases the chances that our elected leaders will finally get serious about stormwater.
How should you report flood damage to a building? Call MSD’s Sewer Backup Hotline at 513-352-4900 or fill out an on line form here.
