Heavy rains in the spring often lead to complaints in Springfield over water in basements. This mostly happens in older areas of the community.
"Most of the system was never designed to be able to transport or convey 50 year storms. it was more designed on a 5 or 10 year storm. That being said, there are places in the city that don't perform on a 5 or 10 year system either," said Sewer Engineer John Higginbotham with Springfield Public Works.
"The best way for residents to protect themselves from capacity issues in the system is to protect at their homes," he said.
The City of Springfield recently upped reimbursement amounts for those putting"overhead" sewers in their homes. New construction in the city is required to have this type of system.
What else can a homeowner do? Clean out gutters. Make sure downspouts are clear and move water far enough away from the structure. The lawn should also be graded sufficiently so that water can drain away.
