"Sewer central."

That's how Ajax homeowner Victoria Derusha answered the phone the day after her basement was flooded for the third time in eight years.

While a little humour goes a long way in a tough situation, underneath the light words was a chasm of frustration.

Ms. Derusha's home was among 107 that were flooded during a storm on Aug. 11. Most of them are on three streets, Lawrie Road in Ajax and Annes Street and Walton Boulevard in Whitby. Some homes were also flooded in Oshawa, but the damage wasn't concentrated in one area.

As Durham's sewer system was overwhelmed and pumping stations failed to keep up, there was little residents could do as they watched the water flow into their homes from floor drains, toilets, bathtubs and showers, but try to save prized possessions. Whitby's Bil Lytwyn described running up the stairs with his crying daughter's doll house as opposed to electronics. Some reported fighting the battle with pumps or bailing the water themselves.

The Middleton family, also on Lawrie, battled until 3 a.m. and still weren't able to save a single room.

The next day it was back-breaking labour. Ripping up carpets, trashing furniture anything the contaminated sewer water touched. Walls have to be ripped open to prevent mould from blooming.

The end result was tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to many homes. For the Middleton's, the cost of recovery will be out of pocket since they lost their insurance after the last flood. After this one, many others may be in the same boat.

And as for selling their homes, it'll be next to impossible as flood history has to be disclosed to potential buyers. Many of these homes are bungalows and leaving the basements unfinished isn't an option. Families need their space.

But let's be clear, the flooding in these homes is not an act of nature, it's a design failure. And it's not even necessarily in the neighbourhoods that are most affected.

The Region says storm water is flowing into the sewer system, overwhelming it during torrential rains. The plan is to conduct field investigations to try to find where that's happening.

One option for the homeowners is the installation of backflow valves, which close a home's sewer connection during storms.

The problem with the valves is that they have to be maintained and if they're incorrectly installed, they can crack a home's foundation. For this reason, the Region will not recommend them.

Another reason the Region won't recommend them is that it may simply shift the problem to another street. If the pumping stations can't keep up with the flow, there's nowhere else for the water to go.

If there's anything that can be done, whether it's helping residents install backflow valves or finding the cause of the problem and fixing it, it must be done and quickly. When residents are battered by disaster like this over and over and over again, there's no other choice, especially if we're going to continue to have more frequent severe storm events.

In the upcoming council session, staff will be presenting an information report to the works committee about the flooding. Councillors need to go beyond listening to the report and ask for quick action. Whether it's money, manpower or both, the Region has to invest whatever it takes to find a solution for these people.

Surely the residents deserve more than the paltry $400 they now receive when the sewers flood their homes. As Margaret Middleton said, that's not even enough to replace the floor.