BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG -- "My basement flooded and it wasn't just water. It's sewage. Untreated, raw sewage.”

That's what Ann Loffler told city council Monday. She and other residents near Patterson Street believe the problem was caused by a street expansion project that wrapped up in 2015.

The flooding took place following a major rain event that occurred Thursday night in the city. The problem isn't a new one. Over the years the city has heard complaints about flooding that's believed to have stemmed from the street expansion.

But on Monday city council took a lashing about the problem as residents described the expense and shared the details about just how bad the problem had become.

"I watched human feces float through my basement. When the water went down, I had, in plain English, one hell of a mess," she said.

Multiple residents referred to the problem as a health hazard.

Also speaking at the meeting was Marlene Shaver who lives on East David Street who says the problem has predated the Patterson Street project. She said water comes up through the toilet and the shower shooting up "like a geyser."

She said that in more recent years, the water problem turned into a sewage problem.

"There is feces and toilet paper and all that down on my floor that after I suck the water up I've got to suck that up and throw it out," she said.

Andy West, a Franklin Street resident said thousands of dollars of workout equipment has been damaged by sewage backup problems. She also said that she's spent thousands of dollars on cleanup of raw sewage. She said her basement has been dry for 17 years and only recently began having issues.

Her husband Eric West said he'd reached out to the Department of Environmental Conservation about the problem.

He said that he was led to believe that the DEC forced the city to raise weirs that led to the flooding issues, but said following the conversation that doesn't appear to be the case.

"Their requirement is 85% treated water to 15% untreated water is what is acceptable to be released," he said.

He said that it appears it was the city's recommendation, not the DECs, but acknowledged that perhaps they were raised to meet that requirement, which is something council confirmed later in the meeting.

Interim City Manager Andrea Smith said the city was not yet prepared to present an action plan, but said that speaking with engineers and perhaps the Development Authority of the North Country would be a good starting point.

Department of Public Works Director Shane Brown said that there are issues, but said he does not have a solution yet. He said that he would speak with the DEC to seek more information.

City Councilor Dan Skamperle wanted action taken immediately. He suggested adjusting the weirs, but his fellow councilors and Smith said that something like that would require a professional opinion and involve the DEC.

"None of us up here are engineers," Councilor Michael Powers said.

Brown said the problem is awful for the homeowners and is bad for the city too. He noted that the city just invested $40 million in a water treatment plan that nearly flooded in the recent rain event.

Skamperle said he considers the situation an emergency and needs to be addressed as quickly as possible.

The city discussed bolstering a program that reimburses residents for some costs associated with a black flow installation. However, without knowing the costs or best solutions, the council opted to wait before enacting something without more information.

Powers said he'd like to see if that could be done in time for the July meeting. That's something Mayor Michael Tooley and Councilor Jennifer Stevenson agreed on.

Although no formal action was taken, the council was clear that addressing the flooding was a priority.