Please call or text the Street Commissioner at 614-403-3733. He will help you to assess the problem. Riverlea is required to track all water in basement events and report the cause to OEPA in our annual sewer system reports.

If the Street Commissioner is unavailable, please consult the City of Columbus website for information to help you assess the problem and determine who to contact.

Riverlea does not have a sewer maintenance contract for our sanitary sewer and storm sewer systems. We own the lines and are responsible for all necessary maintenance and repairs. Please do not call the City of Columbus for basement flooding issues unless you are certain that the issue is due to a water supply line or water meter problem and you need to have the water service shut off at the curb to stop the leak.

The following guidelines are provided to help you to determine the source of your water in basement problem.

Sanitary sewer backups

If the water smells foul and/or is coming up through the basement floor drains, it is likely a sanitary sewer backup, either in the house service line (called a “lateral”) or in the main line in the street. Most sanitary sewer lateral backups are due to blockages caused by root growth into the lateral, resulting in partial or total flow obstruction and possible structural collapse of a section of the line. Check with your immediate “downstream” neighbors (those south or west (downhill) of you) to see if they are also experiencing a backup. If so, then the backup may be due to a blockage in the main sanitary line in the street. If this is the case, please call or text the Street Commissioner immediately at 614-403-3733 so that he can contact an emergency response contractor.

Repair of sanitary sewer laterals is the homeowner’s responsibility. The City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities maintains a list of approved water and sewer contractors who are licensed by the City to perform sewer and water line repairs. You will first need to create an account and then login to search for approved water/sewer contractors. Unfortunately the list is by sorted by individual licensee’s name and only includes the address, not the associated company’s name, address, phone number, or email.

Storm water

If the water is clear or muddy-brown and is coming in along the base of the walls, then it is probably storm water intruding through the foundation, due to high ground water, heavy rainfall, leaking gutters and/or blocked roof drains. If the water is coming up out of the sump pump pit, it is likely that the sump pump system has failed due to loss of power, a failed control float, the discharge line being blocked, or the discharge check valve being stuck open or closed.

If you cannot fix the sump pump problem yourself, contact a plumber. If water is entering through the walls or foundations, contact a professional specialty contractor who deals with basement water problems. If water is ponding around the outside walls due to leaking gutters or blocked downspouts or roof drains, contact a gutter or roof drainage contractor to help resolve the problem.

Water supply leaks

If the water is not coming up from the floor drains, through cracks in the walls, or from the sump pump pit, but you can hear water running in the house, then you probably have an interior water supply system leak, perhaps near the water meter at the water line service entrance.

If you cannot stop the leak using the shutoff valve on the upstream side of your water meter, call the City of Columbus Water Department Customer Service Line at 614-645-8276 (Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 6:00 pm), or after hours call the Water Distribution Dispatcher at 614-645-7788 (24 hours), to request water shutoff at the curb box in your yard.

Please self-report all such water leaks directly to the City of Columbus Water Distribution Maintenance dispatcher’s office at 614-645-7788 (staffed 24 hours).

Please also call or text the Street Commissioner at 614-403-3733 to let him know that the leak has been reported.

Evacuate the building or area immediately.

From a safe distance, call Columbia Gas at 800-344-4077 and select option 1 from the automated menu for gas or carbon monoxide emergencies.

Do not turn on lights or use matches to try to find the source of the leak yourself.

Do not smoke, make a spark or flame, activate or switch on/off any electrical equipment, raise/lower windows, or re-enter the building.

Wait in a safe location for the crew to arrive to investigate the situation.

More information is available at the Columbia Gas website.

Only human waste and toilet paper should be flushed down the toilet. Other items can clog the sanitary sewer lines on your property or at the water treatment facility.

Items that should not be flushed down the toilet include:

1. Tampons and sanitary napkins
2. “Flushable” wipes or cleaning wipes of any kind
3. Plastics, including dental floss, bandages, and condoms
4. Paper towels, facial tissue, cotton balls, or cotton swabs
5. Grease or cooking oils
6. Cigarette butts
7. Medication or chemicals

Riverlea’s lift station, which pumps waste from the lower portion of the Village to the main sanitary sewer line, often has to be cleared of improperly disposed items to keep it functioning. This creates a significant expense for the Village.

“Flushable” wipes do not break down quickly and are becoming a costly problem for sewage and water systems throughout the US and elsewhere.

Medications and hazardous materials can contaminate water and should not be disposed of in any toilet or drain.

Power outages

• Please self-report all power outages directly to AEP at 800-672-2231. The quantity and source location of calls will help them to determine the extent of the outage. Outages can also be reported online.

Potholes, broken storm drain grates or covers, broken or missing manhole lids

• Please call or text the Street Commissioner at 614-403-3733.

Fallen tree or large limb blocking the street

• During the work day, please call Sharon Township at 614-885-5933. They will remove the debris and bill the Village.
• After hours, please notify Worthington Police & Fire at 614-885-4463, and call or text the Street Commissioner at 614-403-3733. He will notify Sharon Township and put out traffic cones.

Dead deer in the street or yard

• If the carcass is still fresh, please call the Worthington Police dispatcher at 614-885-4463. They maintain a list of people who will come and take it for meat.
• If the carcass has been there for a while, please call Sharon Township at 614-885-5933. They will remove it for a disposal fee.

Major storm damage to your property

• Call your insurance company.
• Please call or text the Street Commissioner at 614-403-3733. He will log and report the damage to the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency and assist in their disaster recovery efforts.

Garbage collection issues and questions

• Please contact Local Waste Services at 614-409-9375 or online.
• See the Trash & Recycling page or visit the Local Waste Services website for more information about garbage collection in Riverlea.

Street light outages

• If there is a safety issue (sparking line down, glass in the street, etc), please call AEP at 800-672-2231 and Worthington Police & Fire at 614-885-4463.
• If the light is simply out, you can file a report with AEP online.
• Please call or text the Street Commissioner at 614-403-3733 to let him know that you filed a report.