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2006 Public Survey -
Gathering Information About Basement Flooding in Our Community
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Survey Overview
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Planning
for the public survey began in early 2006. The City hired Zenith Research
Group, an organization with extensive media and public relations experience
in the Two Harbors area, to help plan and disseminate the survey and to
collect and analyze the data. Together, Zenith Research and City Staff
decided that the most effective approach would be a mail survey. All property
owners in Superior had an opportunity to share
their flooding experiences with City decision-makers through this survey.
Everyone was asked to respond to survey, whether or not they had had
flooding, so that the City could not only identify those areas that are prone
to flooding, but also those areas where stormwater management techniques are
working.
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Information
gathered from this survey will provide the foundation to plan future
improvements in our community and to manage major storms. By tracking water
flows and listening to area residents, the City can prevent damage, save
money, and reduce the inconvenience and distress of cleaning up a flooded
basement.
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Survey Results
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Prior to
the survey, the City had no substantive data on basement flooding, other than
from past customer service requests. The survey provided an opportunity for
people who don’t typically contact the City to share their experiences. The
survey was set up in such a way that the data could be linked to a parcel in
the City. This allowed the City to link the data to its Geographic
Information System, which can be used to develop high-quality maps that can
illustrate where and when flooding has occurred, along with other data.
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Thirty-three per cent (33%) of Superior property owners completed and
returned their surveys. This is very high response rate for a mail survey; a
typical response rate for mail surveys is in the 20% range. Many people
returned their surveys within the first two weeks, indicating a high interest
in this topic among our citizens. Some respondents even sent in photos of
flooding damage in their homes and stories of how flooding has impacted their
lives.
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Not everyone in Superior has experienced flooding.
Property owners were asked to respond to the survey even if they had never
had flooding. Such data is very valuable as it can be used to determine where
the system is working properly and how it may be possible to replicate those
systems in areas that are experiencing problems.
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Survey Highlights
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Over 53% of the residents and 60% of business owners with
basements reported some level of basement flooding. Superior’s physical terrain contributes to
flooding due to its low relief and clay soils. Unlike Duluth, where much of the water runs
downhill, Superior’s landscape is flat with only
about 75 feet of elevation change throughout the City. In addition, parts of Superior are built upon 600 feet of clay
soils that were deposited during the last Ice Age and once under laid a
larger Glacial Lake Superior. Clay soils do not allow water to infiltrate
quickly, resulting in high volumes of stormwater remaining on the surface for
longer periods and causing stormwater to run off into the sewer system
instead of infiltrating into the ground.
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Has your basement ever
flooded?
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Over 37% of the respondents indicated there had been some
flooding in their yard or on the lot of the building since they became
owners. Some flooding is actually desired as a way to manage stormwater;
other flooding is not. The City anticipates doing another survey in the near
future addressing surface flooding like that which occurs in citizens’
yards.
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Has your yard ever
flooded?
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Do you have a sump pump?
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About 46% of homeowners and 57% of businesses indicated
that they have a sump pump. Homeowners use sump pumps to help drain excess
water from their basements. During storms, water accumulates in a hole dug in
the basement called a sump pit. Water can enter the pit via foundation drains, or may arrive
from natural ground water in the earth. When water collects in the pit, the sump pumps pumps the
water out, protecting the basement from flooding. Ninety-seven per cent (97%)
of respondents reported that their sump pumps were working properly.
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Slightly more than 58% of the respondents said their basement
flooding had caused financial damage to their belongings.
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Did basement
flooding cause financial damage?
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Of those who have experienced some financial damage to
their property, 40% reported greater than $2,500 in damages from flooding.
Overall, damages ranged from less than $50 to a high of $60,000.
Eighty-two per cent (82%) of businesses reported having
suffered financial damage from flooding.
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Has your building sewer
been cleaned?
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Building sewers are those pipes that connect buildings to
the main City sewer. Many times, basement flooding is caused by a building
sewer that is not working properly. Building sewers can be blocked by tree
roots or collapsed. The maintenance of a building sewer is the responsibility
of the homeowner.
Just over 25% of all respondents stated that their
building sewer had been cleaned. Forty-two per cent (42%) of respondents were
uncertain if their building sewer had ever been cleaned.
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Have you had your
building sewer been inspected?
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About 12% of the respondents indicated that their building
sewer had been professionally inspected.
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Just over 7% of the respondents indicated that their
building sewer had been repaired or replaced since they had become owners.
42% of these sewers had been repaired/replaced since 2003. The Stormwater
Flood Control Pilot Project, which began in 2003, offers qualified homeowners
assistance such as cleaning out building sewers and other activities to make
their homes less prone to flooding.
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Has your building sewer
been repaired or replaced?
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About 12% of respondents indicated that their building
sewer had been equipped with a back water preventer valve. A back water preventer
valve helps protect the home from flooding as a result of sewer surcharging
during heavy rains.
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Do you have a back water
preventer valve?
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