Massive Grease Clog Contributed To Melrose Sewage Backup: Report

MELROSE, MA — Outdated sewer pipes, a tangle of roots and a huge accumulation of solidified grease combined to create the disastrous sewage backup that plagued four Brazil Street homes last month, according to a report released Friday.

The report appeared to clear the city of negligence in causing the blowout.

The sewer main in last month's Brazil Street incident was in poor shape and sewer service connections were likely surcharged before DPW workers got involved in the June 20 backup and subsequent blowout that ruined four homes, according to a report detailing the findings of a review commissioned by the City of Melrose.

The explosion flooded four homes with filth, including feces, displacing the residents of four homes and sparking a firestorm of criticism aimed at Mayor Gail Infurna's administration for how they communicated the crisis to officials and residents alike. The scrutiny intensified this week after the city said it would stop paying for hotels for those affected, sending them back to unfit - and even potentially dangerous - homes.

>>>Read: Brazil Street Tensions Boil Over As Alderman Blasts Mayor

Questions remain as to who is liable for the damages to residents' homes and belongings. The city has not addressed why DPW workers told several residents their efforts to clear the backup caused the overflow; the report said that another tool would have been used in clearing the sewer if it was known what shape it was in. It's not clear whether the city should have been aware of the conditions before going ahead with its strategy, which the report called "typical protocol."

DPW Director John Scenna did not immediately return Patch's request for comment.

The minimum recommended improvements would cost an estimated $150,000, the report says.

The city used Weston & Sampson to perform what it called an "independent evaluation." The city has and continued to use Weston & Sampson for a number of other studies and projects. The report comes 22 days after the sewage backup and overflow.

"Prior to June 20, the sewer was in 'fair/poor' condition due to the roots, large amounts of grease and debris, surcharged conditions (when a sewer overfills with wastewater due to clogs or overflow), and a significant number of cracks," the report said in its conclusions.

The report said "many of the homes along Brazil Street" contributed to the grease build-up over a long period of time. The build-up of all the liquid sewage and waste was likely due to the poor sewer conditions.

The Brazil Street sewers were installed in 1906, the report said. The pipe was 6 inches and service connections 4 inches in diameter. Today, mainline sewer pipes must be at least 8 inches and service connections 6 inches.

The report recommends "at minimum" replacing the existing 6-inch sewer pipe, which Weston & Sampson estimates would cost around $150,000. It also said the sewer could stand to replaced, pending further review.

Affected residents have claimed the city has been "irresponsible" in the weeks since the backup, including what they said was a rushed and incomplete inspection of their damaged homes before deeming them habitable - one of which was later deemed uninhabitable again. The Board of Aldermen has requested city officials and Mayor Gail Infurna's administration explain the situation.

Infurna has stood by the inspections and has said the city cannot continue to pay for affected residents' hotel stays.