+JMJ
Dear Parishioners,
The big news is that with the huge rainfall we had on Sunday, August 21st, the sewers backed up and flooded the basement floor of our offices. We had about 1-1/2”-- 2” of water throughout the entire basement. It was sewer water! That very evening, Rob Reinhart and Tom Reinhart swept up all the water with shop-vacs as best they could. They put out fans and dehumidifiers. Thankfully, Clouse Construction was able to respond for clean-up already the next morning. We ordered a dumpster to collect everything that had to be trashed. We are thankful to Cindy Reinhard, who helped us register and photograph everything that had to be pitched. And, we borrowed a trailer from Greg Cassidy to store those things that can be kept; since the entire basement had to be cleared out, so that all the floor tiles can be torn up, as well as carpeting in various places. Also, the drywall was tested all around with a dampness meter, and all contaminated drywall (about 2 foot high all the way around) had to be cut out and replaced. Rubber baseboards everywhere had to be removed and pitched.
Immediately we contacted the diocese, and we submitted an official report the next morning. On Tuesday morning a representative from Cincinnati Insurance (used by the Diocese) visited to assess everything. Apparently we have a $100,000 insurance policy that includes sewer back-ups, with a $1,000 deductible. Hopefully we can accomplish all the repairs and replacements below this limit.
We are exploring ways to prevent this flooding in the future. It appears the rainwater downspouts from the roof are channeled into the office waste pipes under the basement, before going into the sewer line. If this is confirmed, we will redirect those downspouts away from the building, immediately into the sewer. Secondly, we are exploring the possibility of installing some sort of sewer backflow guards in the large sewer lines that go from the building to the sewer.
Have a blessed week!
In cordibus Iesu, Mariae et Iosephus,
Father Poggemeyer