Four neighbors on Observatory Avenue in Hyde Park say a manhole cover blew off a nearby sewer main during storms on July 18 and July 22, sending water gushing into their homes and causing extensive damage. One resident has been displaced for at least six months.
Renee Bajorek, who lives across the street from the sewer main, said her driveway looked "more like a river" during both storms. Her basement took major damage each time.
"The reason we flood is because that sewer main pops open and everything gushes into us and our neighbors' homes," Bajorek told WCPO.
Bajorek's neighbors Christina Rittenburg and Rob Candiano were eight hours away when the first storm hit July 18. They returned to find their home flooded. Katie Klaeren, who lives nearby, lost her car when the July 18 storm ripped apart her driveway. Because Klaeren's home has no basement, floodwater destroyed her living space. She is living in an Airbnb and said her home will be unlivable for at least six months.
All four residents say the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati bears responsibility. Bajorek drew a sharp line between overland flooding and what she witnessed: "Heavy rainfall happens, but this is not a matter of rainfall and overland stuff; this is the public city infrastructure failing, and then, boom, we take the brunt of it."
MSD's response
The Metropolitan Sewer District has not confirmed or denied the specific manhole failure on Observatory Avenue. An MSD spokesperson told WCPO the agency has received nearly 1,500 reports of suspected sewer backups since July 18 and that the rainfall exceeded the design capacity of the public sewer system.
On Wednesday, July 22, MSD Director Diana Christy said the sewer system did not fail, adding that no system can handle that level of volume. Her remarks addressed the citywide flooding, not the Observatory Avenue incident specifically.
The distinction between a sewer backup and overland flooding matters for residents filing claims. MSD's Sewer Backup Program covers wastewater that backs up from the public sewer into a building. It does not cover water that enters through doors, windows or foundation cracks, according to MSD program guidelines described by Axios Cincinnati. In a prior Mount Lookout case reported by WCPO, MSD denied a resident's claim by classifying damage as overland flooding rather than a sewer backup.
Citywide context
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval issued an emergency declaration on Monday, July 21, citing flooding across the east side from July 18 through July 22. The declaration enables the city to pursue state and federal assistance and relaxes procurement rules so recovery funds can move faster, Pureval said. It remains in effect through Tuesday, September 15.
The east side received five to six inches of rain in about an hour on July 18, according to the mayor's declaration. MSD described the event as a "1,000-year storm" in a memo published Wednesday, July 22.
What residents can do
Residents who suspect a sewer backup must report it within 48 hours to remain eligible for MSD's program. Reports can be filed 24/7 by calling 513-352-4900 or online at msdgc.org. MSD advises residents to photograph damage, save receipts and allow crews to inspect the property.
The Hyde Park Neighborhood Council urged neighbors on July 18 to file claims promptly, noting that Hyde Park, Mount Lookout, Oakley, Madisonville, Pleasant Ridge and Norwood were all affected.
