Flood Prevention Program Coming to MorningSide
Last summer’s flooding wreaked havoc in neighborhoods all over the city. Whether or not your own basement was flooded - it was hit and miss in MorningSide - everyone is worried about these so-called “hundred year floods” occurring every few years now.
But help is on the way. Last month Mayor Duggan and Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) Director Gary Brown announced a new program to help residents protect their homes from future flooding.
The Basement Backup Protection Program will provide up to $15 million for eleven neighborhoods, including MorningSide, that are at heightened risk of flooding. The program is open to homeowners as well as landlords and will assist residents by installing backwater valves and/or sump pumps in their basements. Commercial properties and nonprofits are not covered by this program.
Using funds from the American Rescue Plan (ARPA), the city will pay up to $6,000 per household to have these protections installed. Five of the eight contractors currently identified to do the work are Detroit-based.
The Basement Backup Protection Program will start this spring in the two neighborhoods hardest hit by the flooding - Aviation Sub and Victoria Park. MorningSide will be part of the second phase, beginning this summer.
Although our residents may wish to be among the first neighborhoods served, the advantage of being part of Phase 2 is that contractors used in Phase 1 will be vetted through resident satisfaction surveys. We can be confident, then, that the contractors that pass the first phase will be reliable and perform well.
Although the work won’t begin until this summer, you can apply now at www.detroitmi.gov/basementprotection. If you don’t have internet access or need help filling out the application, call DWSD at 313-267-8000.
Once an applicant has gotten preliminary approval, Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED) will send out an inspector for an initial look at your property. Then a licensed plumber will do a more thorough assessment to determine, on a case by case basis, what services you need. Not all homes, for example, will need a sump pump.
If you are approved as a homeowner - and you must be living in the home - you will only need to pay 10% of the cost - around $600. If you qualify for the Water Residential Assistance Program (WRAP), this deposit will be waived. Landlords will be required to pay 20% of the cost of the service and are not eligible for a waiver. If you are a renter, you should speak to your landlord about the program, as only property owners can apply.
Many households near the Fox Creek canal experienced significant flooding last summer. Image courtesy of Jim West
Ruined household items as a result of the Summer 2021 floods. Image courtesy of Jim West
