New sewer project could stop basements from flooding in Jeannette

JEANNETTE, Pa. — In July 2019, many homes on 12th, 13th and 14th, and 15th streets in West Jeannette were dealing with basement flooding from the city’s sewage system after a torrential downpour.

Some of the neighbors tell me that still happens when they get heavy rains.

But now, the city and the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County are working on a project to hopefully cut back on how often that happens.

Lauren Dandrea is fairly new to the Jeannette area. She just moved into the neighborhood about two years ago and hasn’t dealt with too much flooding, but she did just a few months ago after heavy rain.

“My dryer was submerged a few inches underwater, and it actually completely went, so I had to get a new one,” Dandrea said.

Basement flooding is quite common for those in this area of Jeannette, which is next to Brush Creek. In 2019, rains in mid-July caused pipes to back up into basements, and clean-up took days.

“It was expensive,” said City Manager Ethan Keedy. “Dumpsters had to come in to help clean up the damages that was caused because of it. A lot of people lost a lot of their basements, the homes were damaged.”

That’s one of the reasons why the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County is working to help cut back on how often flooding and sewage end up in people’s basements.

They’re taking out two low-interest 40-year loans from the Department of Agriculture to pay for the more than $14 million project.

They plan to consolidate some stormwater catch basins, install new pipe, line some of the existing clay pipe in the city’s sewage system to try and prevent what they call infiltration of stormwater.

It won’t entirely prevent flooding, but it will help curb some of it, the city and MAWC tell Channel 11.

“Be patient with the work.,” Keedy said. “Areas are going to be dug up, roads are going to be dug up.”

Despite that, Keedy said it would all be worth it.

“One-hundred-percent worth it,” he said.

The bid process will start soon, according to MAWC, and work will start no later than next year.

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