Here's How This Issue Started. . .

Playing some pool on Thanksgiving

When we returned home from visiting family in Ankeny on Thanksgiving, we were greeted by water gushing out of the sewer drain in our basement.  The story unfolds that night and the next day.

Click here to read about a great article in by the Ottumwa Post.

The article is fantastic, but what it doesn't capture are the feelings that were happening at the time.

I can recall standing in my driveway while the Roto Rooter crews took a break after working since 7:30 am because a huge truck was backing in a delivering a 20 foot dumpster needed to remove everything from our basement.

The 20 foot dumpster we filled with contents of our basement over the long week-end.

I was standing there trying to calculate the Roto Rooter bill in my head--a 10:00 pm and midnight visit on a Holiday, then two crews, two trucks, and over 3 hours of work.  Dollar signs were turning in front of my eyes like tumblers in a slot machine!  I knew Roto Rooter would expect payment that day and at that very moment, there was no relief in site.  How many more hours would be needed?

Roto Rooter and City Crew--I can only imagine the conversation!

When the City truck pulled up and the fluids receded in our basement, one of the Roto Rooter guys came up to me and said, "We're not leaving you a bill."  He went on to say that they needed to find out more about the sewer line.  They were under the impression that since it was under a manhole that it would be the City's responsibility and wanted to make sure--they would send us a bill when they found out more.

Turns out, Roto Rooter was given the same line we were--"private sewer."  The bill did come in the mail and they were very fair with us.