NFL legend Joe Montana joined a group of fed-up San Francisco homeowners suing the city after sewage-tainted stormwater rushed into expensive homes earlier this year.
Nearly 60 plaintiffs say the city failed to make proper repairs to wastewater facilities linked to previous flooding in the affluent area before a combination of atmospheric rivers and bomb cyclones tore through the area, killing two people, in the New Year.
“The portion of this system that runs through the Marina is antiquated and has been neglected and inadequately maintained by the city and county of San Francisco,” according to the lawsuit obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle.
“As a result, the system routinely became overwhelmed, overflowed and flooded plaintiffs’ properties and neighborhoods with untreated sewage and contaminated water.”
San Francisco residents and advocacy groups have consistently called on the city to address its aging sewage system over the past two years after experiencing repeated flooding in low-lying areas, including the neighborhood known for football star and former 49ers quarterback Montana.
The 101 Freeway in South San Francisco is flooded after a heavy rainstorm hit the California city on New Year’s Eve. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The median home price in the area is $2.6 million, according to Realtor.
The flooding issue is further exacerbated by the city’s 2021 closure, which allows excess water to enter the bay rather than escape through drains onto streets, the lawsuit claims.
When the storm hit the Bay Area on New Year’s Eve, more than 18.6 million gallons of untreated or partially treated wastewater overflowed from the city’s sewer system into city streets, only 2.3 million gallons escaped into the bay, according to the San Francisco Regional Record. The Water Quality Control Board obtained the Chronicle.
When a powerful storm hit the Bay Area on New Year’s Eve, more than 18.6 million gallons of untreated or partially treated wastewater overflowed from the city’s sewer system into city streets, only 2.3 million gallons escaped into the bay. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The dirty water “flowed into and around the Plaintiff’s property, seeped into the soil, walls and floors, and deposited highly contaminated and toxic feces and other raw sewage in and around the Plaintiff’s home.”
The homeowner tried to file a claim for damages against the city, but was denied, according to the lawsuit.
San Francisco, however, claimed the massive flooding was caused by “almost unprecedented” high rainfall, not neglect at the hands of the city.
San Francisco, however, claimed the massive flooding was caused by “almost unprecedented” high rainfall, not negligence at the hands of the city. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
A warning sign stands by the side of the 92 West highway in Half Moon Bay on December 31, 2022. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
“It was the strongest storm to hit San Francisco in over 170 years,” Jen Kwart, a spokeswoman for the City Attorney’s Office, said in a statement.
“The storm, rather than the city’s infrastructure, was responsible for the widespread flooding throughout the city. We are reviewing the complaint and will respond in court.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
