It's usually a buildup of grease in the sewer lines, and when the grease cools, it cools in the main line and causes a blockage. Photographs of the Gibbses' house indicate that when workers cleared the blockage, they also forced raw sewage to ooze out of the toilet, bathtub and sinks and into the home. Three other homes were flooded as well, but none to the extent of their unfortunate neighbors. While plumbers see sewer woes as a seasonal stressor, East Side maintenance supervisor Ernie Espedia says problems tend to recur in certain neighborhoods that have more problems with grease. A lot of people don't know how to dispose of grease.
Some people try to flush it down their toilets or pour it down the kitchen sink.
Instead the couple sat in the yard on lawn chairs, awaiting help as raw sewage seeped into their hardwood floors, baseboards, walls, and even the foundation of their house, according to the frustrated couple. They finally moved back in May, after months of commuting to work and driving their son to school and practices for his soccer team. Yet their sense of security remains shaken. Although the city denies severe structural damage in the main sewer line near the Gibbses' home, the couple says they remember constant problems since moving into the neighborhood 14 years ago. And they worry about what will happen if there's a next time, now that their insurance company has said they will be on their own if the sewer overflows again.