Officials say nearly 30 people in Willimantic have been forced from their homes due to a sewage backup at their Main Street apartment complex on Saturday.
“It stinks. The whole place stinks,” said Willimantic’s Luis Diaz.
Tenants at a Main Street apartment complex in Willimantic are disgusted by a sewage leak that occurred over the weekend.
“There was an issue on the second floor, but I don’t know where, what apartment and it’s just, it’s bad in there,” Diaz said.
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Members of the Willimantic Fire Department and the North Central District Health Department were first notified of the issue on Saturday. After assessing the issue, officials say they discovered a damaged pipe in the building.
“This becomes a team effort. We not only involve the sewer department but the health department has to have an opinion here, human services becomes involved if there’s relocations,” said Willimantic Fire Chief Marc Scrivener.
On scene, officials from the North Central District Health Department issued a notice of violation to the building’s property managers requiring that the nearly 30 second floor tenants be relocated to a nearby hotel.
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“It’s never been bad like that,” Diaz said. “This is like the first time.”
The notice also called for the property managers to fix or replace the pipe and have the building completely sanitized.
“It’s very concerning because it’s your health. It’s counting your health on it. It’s really bad, that’s why I wear my mask,” Diaz said.
The health department says that they issued a follow up notice on Wednesday outlining a timeline for repair. They said in cases like these, that timeframe usually requires the area to be fixed within 30 days.
“At least they’re doing something, you know?” Diaz said.
Officials said once fixed, they’ll also require weekly line inspections to avoid future issues.
“Ultimately, the goal of course is to keep people in their apartments if possible, certainly have a healthy and safe living environment and try to fix the problem as quickly as we can so people can get back to their normal lives,” Chief Scrivener said.
Other tenants said they’ve attempted to contact the property manager about the issue but have not heard back.
The property manager did not respond to NBC Connecticut's request for comment.
