Aug 13, 2008 - 05:20 PM

By Reka Szekely

DURHAM -- Dumpsters and mounds of garbage that were once prized possessions dotted Durham neighbourhoods on Tuesday as hundreds of residents tossed out the contents of their basements after a storm Monday caused a backup of sanitary sewer flow and flooding in their homes.

The downpour overwhelmed pumping stations in Ajax, Whitby and Oshawa causing toilets, showers and floor drains to overflow in some neighbourhoods.

"The toilet was just overflowing, it was like a geyser," said Whitby resident Sue Lytwyn. Ms. Lytwyn and her husband Bil fought the flow, eventually opening the door of their walkout basement so the water could flow out.

For the Annes Street residents, this was the third flood in eight years. They were also flooded in 2000 and 2005. Last time, the couple's insurance claim totalled more than $100,000. They estimate at least 30 homes on their street were affected this time.

In total, Durham works commissioner Cliff Curtis said 100 or so homes were flooded and the early speculation was the storm was more severe than a one-in-a-hundred-years storm.

"Apparently last night we had so much infiltration in the system that the pumps got overwhelmed and then the sewers backed up and if they back up high enough, it pops up through the floor drains in people's basements," he said on Wednesday.

Victoria Derucha, who lives on Lawrie Road in south Ajax where more than a dozen homes were affected, was also flooded in 2000 and 2005 and she has questions for Durham officials.

"How do you go through 30 years and not have any floods and we have three floods in eight years?" said Ms. Derucha. "We need some action, we need some answers. I love my neighbourhood, I still need my home."

But Mr. Curtis said the Region has worked to improve the situation, disconnecting cross-connections where sanitary sewers and storm sewers meet and deepening sewers. In older neighbourhoods where foundation drains pour storm waters into the sewer system, Mr. Curtis estimates it will take 50 to 100 years to disconnect them as homes are eventually rebuilt. In the meantime, flooding will continue to be a threat to some neighbourhoods.

"There's no guarantee it will never happen again, if we get a big enough storm, it's going to happen," he said. "Some people would point to climate change, I hesitate to do that, but we seem to be getting more severe and more frequent thunderstorms."

The Region pays $400 to homeowners whose basements flood from the sanitary sewers. They can call the emergency works line at 905-576-9991 or 1-800-272-1104 to ask for it.

That's cold comfort for Margaret Middleton of Lawrie Road in Ajax, who said she feels sick every time it rains because of the possibility of flooding. Ms. Middleton said she was told about the 2000 flood before she bought her home.

"We were told it flooded, but we were told it was a one-in-a-million chance of it happening again," she said.

After the 2005 flood, her insurance company paid out $98,000. After that, she lost her insurance. And despite calling every company she could think of, she couldn't get more than $5,000 worth of coverage. As a result, she and her family, including her adult children, were doing all the cleanup work themselves on Wednesday.

"Five thousand dollars will buy me nothing. It won't replace the flooring we've lost in the basement," said Ms. Middleton. Despite her family working until 3 a.m. bailing and pumping water, none of the rooms in her basement were saved. She said she'd sell the house if she thought she could, but that's unlikely given that homeowners have to disclose flooding history.

The Lytwyns in Whitby also fear they'll lose their insurance. They thought the problem was solved after construction work on their street a couple of years ago and went ahead and fully finished and furnished their basement. They lost almost everything.

The toughest part, said Mr. Lytwyn, is explaining it to his four-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son.

"My son said, 'what did I do wrong for me to lose my toys twice'."