Residents with rare sewer pipe setup in Kettering may get relief soon

Maplecrest Drive residents with a rare plumbing setup are getting closer to a resolution.

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A plumber called the situation a health hazard, and on Monday officials from Kettering and Montgomery County will discuss the next steps.

The older homes on Maplecrest Drive come with a lot of charm. But what’s underground, the sewer system, has unique characteristics that give particular concern.

Sabrina Olt made a routine call to the plumber Thursday morning.

“It started coming up out of this drain over here, then it went, like, all the way into here and it was just a big hot mess,” Olt said of the sewer backup.

Gene Claywell, owner of Dayton Sewer and Drain, said the main sewer was backed up because it had tree roots in it. The problem was just on her line to the sewer system so it didn’t take long to fix.

However, trouble could be on the way.

About 10 homes on Maplecrest Drive don’t have their own pipes to the county’s sewer system. Instead, they’re connected so if one breaks plumbers say it’s a big issue.

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“It’s a huge health hazard, because you’re not only having your waste coming back into the house, you’re having everyone else’s,” Claywell said.

In homeowner Jenny Harlow’s case, she can’t live in her house because a broken pipe keeps sending sewage inside. In her case, the break is under her next-door neighbor’s yard, and fixing it would compromise the safety of the other house. A new direct line to the sewer system would cost $38,000, Harlow said in February.

The sewer system setup is a concern for residents, Olt said.

“Nobody wants raw sewage in their home, and nobody wants to clean that up and there’s the issue of who’s going to pay for all this work,” she said.

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Some of those answers could be coming soon.

The city and county are hosing a meeting Monday.

In a statement, the county’s director of environmental services said they will “share information of our plans to address the sewer lines.”

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