Raw Sewage Backs Up in Basement in Stewart, MN Homes -- For Many Years

For many years the municipal sewer lines have backed up into the homes of Stewart residents. Apparently this has been happening for nearly over 40 years.

The city of Stewart recently paid millions for a new city sewer system recently -- but it failed to address this problem.

The Central Minnesota News Network called city council member Jason Peirce today. Pierce said that to deal with overflow of the city's sewers, the city calls the MPCA to notify them, then pumps sewer water into the storm drain, which then feeds into Buffalo Creek. Peirce said the water in Buffalo Creek is tested for amounts of sewage content.

Peirce blamed the sewage back-up on excessive rains and residents pumping their sump-pumps into the sewage drain system.

Peirce said that sewage would not be flowing to the flooded area where Bethke's property is, it is fed north of the town.

Peirce did not have an answer as to why the city's new million-dollar sewer system didn't correct the raw sewage back-ups in the town.

Below is a post by Stewart resident Delvin Bethe from May 2019.




Photo of Bethke's tub showing raw sewage backed up into his tub.