How to file a DWSD sewer backup claim in Detroit

What the notice needs

The statute, MCL 691.1419, says the notice has to be in writing and is limited to a short list: your name, address and phone number, the address of the damaged property, the date you discovered the damage, and a brief description of what happened. You don't need repair estimates to file on time.

What to keep while you wait

• Photos of the water, the drain it came from and every damaged item, taken before cleanup.
• Receipts for cleanup, repairs and anything you replace, including appliances.
• Your service request number and the date you called it in.

DWSD's own flood checklist asks for photos and receipts. Throwing out sewage-soaked carpet is fine, and CDC says you should, but photograph it first and keep a sample if you can. Start the sewer backup cleanup right away; the claim doesn't need the water left in place.

When claims get denied

The City's 2022 Basement Backup and Flooding Handbook says a sewer backup claim will likely be denied if the city system was simply overwhelmed by rain and no system failure caused at least 50 percent of the problem. Backups from your own sewer line, the part you own from the house to the street, aren't the City's either.

That's why the insurance side matters: the City's handbook says most basement flood damage isn't covered by homeowners insurance without flood coverage and a sewage backup rider.

The Basement Backup Protection Program

Detroit's Basement Backup Protection Program has helped owners in 11 flood-prone neighborhoods pay for backwater valves, sump pumps, downspout disconnects and sewer camera inspections. As of the 2022 handbook the lifetime limit was $6,000 per property. Applications for phases 1 and 2 are closed and reopen only if new funding comes in; check detroitmi.gov/basementprotection.

Even without the program, DWSD's tips help: downspouts onto the lawn at least three feet from the house, and the sewer line snaked once a year. More on the flooded basement page.

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