LEWISTON — Root balls clogging storm sewers below the streets surrounding Bates College were to blame for a flooding event last summer, according to Michael Giguere of 39 White St.

The city should have known, Giguere told city councilors Thursday, and should have prevented the problem.

Giguere was one of three residents appealing an insurance claim, asking the city to pay for damage to his basement floors and walls.

“My floors were warped and I had to replace Sheetrock and insulation,” Giguere said. “It was significant damage.”

He was asking councilors to a pay $10,371 for the cleanup and for damage to his belongings.

“White Street is a small street and when the rain is heavy, you can see the drains just fill up and stop draining,” Giguere said. 

Councilors listened to three claims Thursday and tabled a decision until a later date, saying they needed additional information.

Councilor Larry Poulin said he wanted to see copies of maintenance schedules, plans for the storm sewer system and copies of videotapes taken of  sewer lanes made after the storm.

Nearly 5 inches of rain fell July 2, coming on top of weeks of rain, soaking already saturated ground. It was too much for the city sewers, said city Deputy Administrator Phil Nadeau, and they overflowed.

But Nadeau said the city regularly maintained and cleaned the sewer lines.

“We believe that this was a volume issue, that the rain was just too much for the sewers to handle,” Nadeau said.

Five residents filed claims with the Maine Municipal Association, the city’s insurer, to have damage from the July 2, 2009, storm repaired. One was successful but four others failed. Association insurers found that the city had maintained the lines and was not liable for damage.

Councilors last fall created an appeal process to give the remaining residents recourse, setting a $15,000 cap per claim.

The city took applications for appeals receiving three from: Giguere, Charles Bournakel of 68 Bardwell St., and Michael Reidy and Odelle Bowman of 34 White St. All three presented their cases to councilors Thursday.

Bournakel told councilors that storm water backed up into the sanitary sewer, sending raw sewage into his basement. It damaged oak and teak furniture he had stored in his basement, as well as clothing, appliances and other belongings.

“All of it went to the dump,” Bournakel said. “I just had to throw it all away.”

Bournakel, who rents the house from his mother, was asking for $22,745 for cleanup and damage to his property. His mother filed a separate claim for $20,413.

Reidy and Bowman filed their claim for $8,012.

Public Works Director David Jones said the city cleaned and lined the storm sewer lines in the area after the storm and was planning to build a parallel storm sewer line this summer to keep the problem from repeating.

[email protected]