‘Staff error:’ New West woman told city won’t clean up after raw sewage flows into her home

A woman in New Westminster has been told it isn’t the city’s responsibility to clean up after a city worker’s error caused raw sewage to flow into her home.

Tuesday Hogan says a New Westminster city works truck came to the area Friday morning to do some work on the street outside the house she is renting.

She went out for the morning, and when she returned in the afternoon, she found raw sewage flowing into the basement.

“I went down there to put something in my freezer, and just about passed out,” she said.

When she reached out to the city to deal with it, she was told it wasn’t their responsibility to clean up.

“They’ve just left, and just left me hanging,” Hogan said.

“I got pictures of the sewage that caused the problem to begin with, and now they’re telling me there’s nothing they can do.”

Gabriel Beliveau, senior manager of public works for the city, confirms the incident with CityNews, saying it was caused by a “staff error.”

He also confirms that it is her responsibility to clean up the raw sewage.

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“We are not allowed to enter and send staff. We do not have restoration companies on retainer, and cannot provide that service to residents,” he said.

“So we inform them as best as possible to proceed with those recommendations, to contact a restoration company as soon as possible, and then to contact the city for claim process.”

Beliveau says the city wasn’t aware of the issue until Hogan returned home in the afternoon and reached out.

“We attended again, obviously, and inspected. They found out then that it was flushed the wrong way,” he said.

“Crews did not properly share information to the resident at the time, but I’ve clarified our limitations and responsibility and provided recommendations to the homeowner.”

Beliveau says the city isn’t able able to provide any recommendations on what restoration company to use.

Hogan says she and her landlord were informed they were able to make the claim with the city once they’ve had the work done.

Beliveau says the claims process sometimes take awhile, but in this case, it can be completed immediately, due to the specific details of this incident.

“In situations like this, where we have all the relevant information, where we’re able to confirm that it was staff error, the submittal of the claim will essentially, kind of provide next steps,” he said.

“It’s not a collection of significant information, and our claims adjustment staff members will be able to move forward with reimbursement immediately.”

Meanwhile, Hogan is left with the mess, saying she is left there in a house “floating in sewage.”

“It’s really disgusting.”

UPDATE: Hogan and her landlord were eventually able to get a cleaning crew to come in and the basement has since been fumigated, disinfected, and sucked dry by an industrial vacuum. Before the cleaning crews arrived, there were 2 to 3 inches of raw sewage filling the basement floor. The cleaning took over three hours, and Hogan says it may end up costing more than $20,000.

Hogan says the city didn’t respond to her calls until CityNews reached out to them, and that after that, she quickly heard back with some answers to her questions. But the situation isn’t entirely resolved.

“You mean to tell me you’re allowed to come onto my property unannounced, damage my property, back sewage into my basement, and walk away?”

She says there needs to be some sort of accountability from the city for the staff error.