Whee, neighbors are dumping raw sewage in their back yard... (pool, heating oil)
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It's a slum-rental with maybe 12~15 people in it right now (I know the "mother" has 9 kids, and there's an endless stream of adult men) and I think it's been going on for ~2 months. It's only just gotten warm enough for the stench to become apparent, and there's a privacy fence between the yards. We'd noticed standing water starting ~2 months ago, but it's been a heavy rain winter too.
Called the city, their on-call guy came out and said it was on the house side, thus not their issue. He figured it was a broken sewage line.
Thankfully my father-in-law is a water-well driller and has a close relationship with the County environmental health guy, so we're going to get the County involved on Monday. I'd love to get this slum-rental deemed uninhabitable (kids have shot vehicles, vehicle windows, house windows, etc.. ~ frequent bass music annoyances between 10pm and 4am, etc...), and I'd Desperately love to drive the slum-lord to the financial breaking point with ground soil remediation/have the house condemned (it really is a POS house and in the 2 years I've been in my house it's only been occupied by to worst of the worst people, LEO's are there monthly if not weekly).
Just sick to my stomach from the situation, AND the stench (nevermind the poo runoff in my yard).
This is the offending yard and sewage pool. If this isn't "dumping", willfully using a broken system in such volume that this occurs, I'm not sure what else to call it....
This is the our other neighbors yard (these 2 are on the end of the block, my property boarders them both):
And this is the Front yard of my house (the back yard has no pooling, it's just sopping wet/soggy over a 40x80' area):
And they're using enough water that it's flowing into the street, flushing all that body waste along about 150' of my yard:
How would YOU like to be living next to this? No, think about it. You open the door and are greeted with the stench of a pit-toilet. Walking into either the front or back yard, your shoes "squish" through the fully saturated ground. There's most likely fecal matter stuck to your shoes now, and your kids shoes ~ hope they don't trip and fall! Opps, the dog is rolling around in it and then run over and jump on you/rub against your legs. And the smell... my God the smell, and it's still cold outside. Just wait a week till the temps start to approach and breach 80 degree. Nevermind the rain that's expected and bound to flush even more of this fecal mater through 2 other yards and into the street.
Just think about this, really get a good visual. Now, imagine that the town/city says "Not our problem". The states says "we have no authority". The home owner says, well nothing because they never return a call.
Oh yeah, there's a church and frequently used playground directly opposite from where this is draining into the street. How would you feel about dropping your kids off to play with this in the street?
Am I wrong to be irate over this situation? If yes, then you're willing to have the same happen to you without complaint?
Have you contacted property owner? He likely does not know there is a broken pipe, or leak.
Have you tried the Health Dept?
You might also try the local Building Dept.
Yup, owner knows (voice confirmation of picture text received) ~ but this is an owner who had to be taken to small claims court after he cut down roughly 300sq/ft of tree screen on my property because he couldn't be bothered to buy $300 worth of trees OR hand me $300 for the replacement trees after I bought them. The court awarded us $1000, which we're getting at about $20/month. Never mind about being bothered to learn where his own property ended, which is conveniently identified with a low block wall. I expect nothing from his end unless legally forced, and even then it will be the absolute minimum.
I've tried the city and state health departments, county doesn't have a weekend number OR voice mail. Building dept/code enforcement doesn't do weekends either (have to go through the "city", and the "city weekend" number is simply the police dispatch who have called the only number they have available and are Willing to call.)
Maybe tomorrow/Monday I'll be able to get some traction.... the county offices are still closed on Mondays, but I *might* be able to get city code enforcement. Would love to simply have to water turned off so they can't make the situation worse at this point....
Most likely the tree roots broke the pipe, if it's broken. The water itself doesn't have anything chunky looking in it. Are you sure it's not from the rain? Do they have a dog? It could be a combo of not cleaning up after a dog, increased heat, and standing water.
ETA pipes typically flow from the house to the street not into the back yard. Our neighbors driveway is the same way but it's due to excessive ground water.
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