‘Nightmare’ sewage problem prompts Rand family to ask Kanawha commission for help

'A nightmare'

Bryan Smith, a Rand resident, said his home and neighborhood have been flooded with sewage for decades, starting in the 1970s. He lives in the multi-generational home with his parents, John and Barbara Smith, who are 84 and 81, respectively.

Each day, Bryan Smith and his parents have to deal with the problem, often avoiding the basement entirely. After periods of rain, they experience strong smells, the presence of bugs — including mosquitoes — and visible human waste in their home. The unpredictability of the situation means that sometimes the water and sewage levels are manageable. But after heavy rain, the situation can become much worse.

Living in this environment is especially difficult for two people in their 80s, John Smith said. But he especially dislikes how it makes his wife feel.

"I always said that I did not want to move," Barbara Smith said. "Now, I want out. It's a nightmare. When I hear it rain, I don't want to get all nervous and be sitting up, looking like an owl because I can't close my eyes. I want to live in peace, and I deserve it, because we worked for it."

"Sometimes the methane burns your eyes and burns your nose, and I have to take [my family] out of there when it gets that way," Bryan Smith said. He added that those times mean packing up and heading to the family farm in Tornado.

"I’ve lost tools, my dad has lost instruments," Bryan Smith said. "My mom and dad are two-time cancer survivors; I'm a two-time cancer [survivor] ... and I'm the one cleaning out the [stuff]."

After decades of coping with the mess with no resolution, John and Barbara Smith filed a formal complaint in July 2023 with the Public Service Commission against the Malden PSD. The complaint cited "improper installation of [the] sewer system [and] failure to maintain [the] sewer system," which they alleged caused flooding, raw sewage in their basement and the erosion of the house's foundation.

The Smiths want the Malden PSD to pay the costs to repair the foundation and structural damage caused by the flooding and compensate them for the loss of personal items or pay the Smiths market value for their home. The Smiths said they had previously been quoted around $60,000 to repair their house's foundation. 

Documentation from the PSC states that Malden PSD agreed, on Aug. 17, 2023, to examine and replace the Smiths' backflow prevention device, if necessary. A week later, Bryan Smith said Malden PSD sent a contractor to fix the problem. However, the problem persisted, despite the contractor's best efforts.

"The sewer system itself does not work," Bryan Smith said. "[The Malden PSD] can't fix it until they fix their entire system."

Why does Rand have these problems?

Responsibility for Rand’s aging sewer infrastructure is currently split between the Malden PSD, which manages the sewer system, and the West Virginia Department of Transportation's Division of Highways, which maintains storm drains and streets.

Bryan Smith said he believes the ongoing sewer problem was caused by the Malden PSD improperly installing sewer lines through the state's storm drain system decades ago. 

He insists the storm and sewer systems, whose terracotta pipes have long been intertwined, have collapsed. However, DOH officials point to another issue.

In a 2022 press release, DOH officials explained that Rand’s development on top of a slough — a low-lying, slow-draining area — combined with mismatched and deteriorating storm sewer systems, contributed to chronic flooding. When Rand was developed more than 100 years ago, storm and sanitary sewers were combined. While the sanitary system was later separated, no one maintained the storm lines, which fell into disrepair.

"The hodgepodge of storm sewers built over the years is now failing, leading to flooding in the unincorporated community of Rand. Because the streets of Rand have been taken into the WVDOH highway system, maintenance of the streets is the responsibility of the WVDOH," said Doug Kirk, Highways chief engineer of environmental compliance. 

According to an agreement between Malden PSD and the Division of Highways, the DOH is leading a multi-million-dollar project to repair both the stormwater and sewer systems, with work expected to continue until late 2026 or early 2027.

Project in progress

The Smiths and other residents appeared before the Kanawha County Commission on June 5, saying they want the Malden PSD held accountable for decades of sewage flooding, while the PSD argues it has done its part thus far. The Smiths showed up once again for the next meeting, held last Thursday, hoping for answers.

Both times, Bryan Smith urged the commission to test the system to prove it isn't working properly using a "smoke test," a diagnostic tool that could detect leaks and identify faulty connections in a sewer system by introducing non-toxic smoke into the pipes and observing where it escapes. The smoke helps pinpoint cracks, breaks and improper connections that allow rainwater or groundwater to enter the sewer system, potentially causing backups and overflows. However, since Bob Brown, chair of the Malden PSD, told the Commission that a smoke test had been done in 2020, the Commission has opted to wait to see those results before moving forward.

Brown said, "We keep meticulous records. We've addressed every complaint and settled every complaint we've ever received.�

Following the latest commission meeting, Salango emphasized that the DOH project covers the main complaint areas, and repairs are being made as issues are found.

"We've made sure that we are investigating thoroughly," Salango said, "and I think we found the problem. You've got infrastructure [installed in] the 1940s that's dilapidated, needs replaced, but the [Division] of Highways is working on it, and we're very appreciative that they're taking it so seriously. They're working on it now, but it's such a large project."

Salango said the issue will be discussed again at the July 10 commission meeting.

"It might be too early for it to be fixed in their area just yet," he said. "But eventually it will be [fixed]. If it's not fixed by DOH with this current project, then it will be fixed in another project. But it will be fixed."

For Barbara Smith, who’s spent years cleaning sewage from her floors and pleading for help, those answers can’t come soon enough.

“I just want it to be fixed," she said. "I don’t want to fight anymore.�