(Memphis) Thousands of gallons worth of raw sewage have spilled onto the streets in a Northeast Memphis neighborhood.
Neighbors said nothing was done about it for six weeks, and it made some people very sick.
Today, the Shelby County Health Department took the property owner to court.
“The health department admits works been done, but work remains,” said Enviormental Court Judge Larry Potter.
When Judge Potter gave Albeca Investments one week to clean up their mess on Weiner road, neighbors broke down in tears.
Seven more days until their quaint, family neighborhood gets rid of sewage flooding their streets.
Neighbors said for six weeks, every time a toilet was flushed, sewage leaked from a rental property.
They complained to the county and city several times.
The health department said it didn’t find out about the problem until March 11 and when the owners didn’t fix it a week later, they took them to court.
Today, the owners wouldn’t answer WREG’s questions why the water was never turned off and why it took so long to fix the problem, but told the judge they stopped the leak late last week.
They also said they have pressure-washed the streets.
“As long as you say what you’re going to do, we are not going to have any problems,” said Judge Potter.
He wants a licensed plumber and a county inspector to sign off on the work and clean-up by next Monday.
In the meantime, neighbor Wendy Zuniga said the sewage is making her and others very sick. She has been in and put of the hospital with a lung infection.
She wants the property owners held responsible for taking so long to clean up the waste that leaked for weeks, “If I’m liable to get sick, don’t you think the kids are liable to get sick behind this as well.”
The property owners are due in court next Monday.
That’s when they’ll show Judge Potter the problem has been repaired and cleaned up.
