Mayor's Statement on Brazil Street

I am writing today to offer some information on the Brazil Street situation. This has been a difficult and emotional time, and I want to be sure the facts are clear.

On June 20, when our DPW crew was clearing a clog in a sewer line on Brazil Street, sewage was released into four houses. Sewer backups are not unusual, and the standard procedure is to instruct the residents to call professional cleaners and file a claim with our insurance company to cover the costs.

This case was different: Because these homes had no cellars, the sewage went into the main living quarters. Therefore, we went beyond the standard procedure and made arrangements for the residents to stay in hotels. We also offered to pay the professional cleaners up front, rather than make the residents wait for reimbursement.

The cleaners removed everything that could absorb the sewage, including rugs and parts of walls, and sanitized all hard surfaces. The Health Director visited each home to verify that work had been done. Her job is to ensure that the home meets the state’s basic standards for building and health codes (working water, sewer, toilet, and electricity; all surfaces that could absorb sewage have been removed; all hard surfaces have been sanitized). Once these criteria are met, she signs off that the that the home is safe to move back into, not that the home is fully repaired or renovated.

Our Health Director has over 30 years’ experience, has visited each of these houses several times, and has only officially declared one home livable. I trust her judgment. She is the person who makes that decision in every case, and I know she has a strong concern for public health. Under no circumstances would she allow a home to be declared habitable if there was any danger of contamination. So far, only one house has been declared habitable. We are working with the other residents to get them back into their houses as soon as possible, but there are many parties involved: Homeowners, renters, contractors, and both the residents’ and the city’s insurance.

Once the situation is stabilized, it is up to the residents to handle the additional work and file claims for reimbursement from our insurance company. As municipal officials we have a duty to be responsible with our city’s resources. The city cannot accept full responsibility for restoration work on these homes until our insurance company makes a determination. And once the Health Director has cleared a home for re-occupancy, we cannot justify continuing to put the residents up in hotels at the city’s expense.

We have done everything possible to speed up the claims process. We hired Weston & Sampson, an engineering firm, to determine the cause of the sewer release, and our insurance adjustor has been in contact with the residents’ insurance adjustors. Weston & Sampson has just issued its final report. My staff and I have been in continual communication with the residents to make sure they are clear about the next steps.

Moving forward, we will continue working with our DPW staff to monitor and stay ahead of any problems. Our engineering staff has an ongoing capital improvement program for water and sewer upgrades throughout the city, and our work crews continue to perform preventative maintenance as well as repairs on our 100 year old sewer system. We will continue to support the Brazil Street residents, relying on the expertise of the Health Director, the engineers, and the insurance company, all of whom have designated professional roles to play in this situation.